To Be Lucky
by SanseiAme
Summary: We all know that Natsu and Lucy have a great friendship. But the day she tells him she's pregnant, that's when their story begins. Little snippets of the Dragneel family.
1. Pregnancy

To Be Lucky

* * *

Natsu stood impatiently by the bathroom door, listening to the sounds of his girlfriend vomiting into the toilet. He wanted to be in there with her, rubbing her back or doing _something_ to comfort her, but she wouldn't let him. She'd been throwing up at random intervals for the past week and a half, and he was starting to get a little worried. She'd told him it was just a virus that's been going around, most likely the stomach flu, but still. And what was with her not letting him in when she was throwing up? Is she embarrassed to be seen like that by him? If that was the case, it was a pretty stupid thing to be embarrassed about. He's her best friend, her boyfriend of three months, and she was embarrassed about him seeing her _puking_? He shook his head. He loved Lucy, he really did – seriously, you have _no idea_ how much he loves her – but sometimes she was… such a weirdo.

After a couple of minutes, he heard the toilet flush and the faucet started running. A moment later, he heard the familiar sound of the door unlocking before she stepped out, her blonde hair tied back into a messy bun and her face puffy and exhausted. "You okay?" he asked, placing a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah," she answered, sleepily nodding her head. She swayed and fell back against Natsu's chest with a soft _oof._ Natsu chuckled once.

"You sure? You look awful."

"Thank you, Natsu. That's _just_ the thing every girl wants to hear from their boyfriend." The Dragon Slayer laughed and he led her to her bed.

"Sorry. But seriously. Your face looks a little, well… pale."

"I'm fine. I just need some rest. And some food, if only I could keep it down." She carefully lowered herself onto her back on the mattress, reveling in the softness of her sheets. Natsu sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, brushing strands of hair from her eyes.

"Do you… want me to stay?" he asked slowly, silently hoping she would say yes. But he would leave if that was her preference, even though he really didn't want to leave her alone in such a condition. His shoulders slumped when she shook her head.

"No, it's alright, go back to the guild and fight with Gray or something…" Natsu's eyes widened. She'd _really_ just given him permission to instigate a fight? "I don't want to be a bore to you."

He snorted. "You could never be boring to me, Luce."

She smiled. "Besides, I think I'm just going to go to sleep anyway. Just go. Go have fun." She laughed at his suddenly sad face, his lip sticking out in a pout.

"But it won't be any fun without you there." Lucy shook her head and waved him off, sounding a defeated sigh from the boy as he stood. "Fine. I'll say hi to everyone for you." He lowered himself down to kiss her forehead before he turned to leave. "See you later, Luce."

"Bye." As soon as she heard the front door shut, Lucy threw the blanket off and huffed. She wasn't sick, she knew. But she didn't want him to know that. The reason? She had a feeling there was a certain process going on inside her. And the thought terrified her. She and Natsu had been dating for only three months, and they've only done the nasty twice! She couldn't be! She wasn't ready to be a mother! And… and she could only imagine how Natsu would react if she told him. She had a feeling that he was anything _but_ ready to be a parent. She really didn't want to tell him. But if she _is_, in fact, pregnant, than the baby is undoubtedly his. He has a right to know that she's carrying his child.

That is, if she's even pregnant in the first place.

There was a knock on her door. Startled, Lucy immediately pulled the blanket back over her. "Who is it?" she asked, trying to sound sick.

"It's Levy!" came a feminine voice from the other side of her bedroom door. "Can I come in Lu-chan?" _Oh, thank Mavis._ Lucy sighed in relief. Levy was aware of the situation, and had been asked to stop by so they could… figure out for sure if Lucy was going to be a mother. Lucy scuttled out of her bed and stumbled up to her door and opened it, revealing the petite solid script wizard with a large book and a plastic bag in her hands. She grinned at the blonde's distraught form. Her hair messily held back and sticking to her sweaty face, her clothes a raggedy tank-top and some old basketball shorts. "Geez, Lu-chan. You look… awful."

Lucy's face dropped. "That's exactly what Natsu said not ten minutes ago," she stated, deadpan. Levy giggled.

"Are you sure you're not just sick?" she asked as she stepped inside, Lucy closing the door behind her.

"I know I'm not sick. It's just like I'm standing outside in one hundred degree weather _all the time_! I'm hot _all the time!_ And pretending to be sick while Natsu's here, lying down in bed all day with a thick blanket over me makes me sweat buckets." Levy laughed as she plopped down onto her best friend's bed. "Anyway, did you bring the stuff?"

"Yes, I did," Levy confirmed between giggles. "I borrowed this book on pregnancy from the library, I bought a test, and I even brought some ice cream." The bluenette turned onto her stomach as the blonde went into the kitchen to get some spoons, and she began to flip through the book, searching for the early signs of pregnancy. While she continued her search, Lucy sat down on the floor beside her bed and dug into the plastic bag. There were two small cartons of ice cream, one was mint and the other was chocolate.

"Which one is yours, Levy-chan?" asked the novelist.

"It doesn't matter," she replied, not even looking up from the book. "I like both of them, so whichever one you don't want, I'll have." Lucy handed her the chocolate one. Which was odd. Normally, she would've chosen the chocolate – it was her favorite flavor. And yet, she decided on the mint. "Ah!" Levy exclaimed when she found the page she was looking for. "'Early Signs,'" she read aloud, quickly skimming through the chapter introduction as she opened her carton. "Alright, let's see… 'In the early stages of pregnancy, you may experience…' nausea?" Lucy nodded her head and swallowed her ice cream.

"Yes."

"Breast tenderness?" Levy said, a silly tone attached to her voice. Lucy laughed and lifted her wrist to touch her right breast. She hissed and flinched away.

"Yeah. Really tender."

"Food cravings?" Lucy shook her head as she took another bite of her mint ice cream, but froze as the spoon went into her mouth. She slowly withdrew it as realization hit her.

"Yes…" Levy clicked her tongue as she took a mouth full of chocolate.

"I don't know, Lu-chan. I can answer 'yes' to most of these, too."

"I'm eating mint ice cream, Levy-chan…" she said slowly, looking over her shoulder at her best girl friend. "I don't like mint…" She swallowed the sweet treat, and her face contorted into a grimace, like she smelled something bad.

"What's wrong, Lu-chan?" Lucy shook her head.

"Mm," she hummed distastefully. "No offense, Levy-chan, but your perfume is making me sick." Levy lifted an eyebrow.

"I'm not wearing perfume, Lu-chan…" They held each other's gaze before the small girl slowly turned her head back to the book. The last of the symptoms was, "Heightened sense of smell…" The girls exchanged uneasy glances. Abruptly, Lucy closed her carton of ice cream and stood up with the plastic bag, pulling out the test.

"I'll be right back, Levy-chan," she said hurriedly as she ran for the bathroom. Levy carefully lifted herself to her knees and closed the book, suddenly not liking the taste of her ice cream. She closed hers as well and took both cartons into the kitchen, placing them in the freezer. When she came back, she sat cross-legged on the bed and watched the bathroom door with nervous, hazel eyes. It probably only took about five minutes, but it seemed like an hour until Lucy reemerged from the restroom, holding a white stick in her hand.

"What does it say?" Levy asked in a quiet voice.

"I don't know," Lucy answered just as softly. "It hasn't shown up yet." She set it upside down on the nightstand and sat beside the bookworm. "Levy-chan… what if it's positive? What am I going to do? I'm twenty-one! I'm not ready to be a mother! Not only that, but Natsu and I have been dating for only three months!"

"Lu-chan, calm down," the bluenette said comfortingly, placing a dainty hand on her friend's shoulder. "It's going to be alright."

"How… how am I going to tell Natsu?" There was a pause, and the room was deathly quiet.

"I… I think the best way to tell him, is to… just _tell_ him. Does that make sense?" Lucy nodded. Levy squeezed her hand with a gentle smile. "But I don't think you have anything to worry about with him. I mean, knowing Natsu, he'd most likely be overjoyed." Lucy laughed a little and nodded her head again. Levy nodded toward the plastic stick. The celestial wizard turned to it, and shakily reached out a hand to grab it. She held it between her and Levy, and a reassuring squeeze of her hand was all she needed to turn it over and look at the result.

There was a little pink plus sign.

* * *

**Three days later…**

Lucy looked at her reflection in the mirror in her bathroom. Today was when she would tell him. She'd put it off for three days. She had to tell him now, or she would never be able to. And she couldn't hide this from him forever. He had a right to know. It was his child, after all. She took a long breath to ease her frantic nerves and reached for the door knob. When she walked into the bedroom, she saw him on her bed – where she last left him – with his scarf lazily wrapped around his eyes. He smiled. "Hey, Luce," he said without even looking at her.

"Hi, N-Natsu," she said back as she approached him, cursing herself for stuttering. Even though his eyes were covered, she could tell he lifted an eyebrow.

"What's wrong, Luce? You sound nervous."

"Nothing's wrong," she answered a little too quickly as she sat beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. He could tell something was bothering her, but decided it best to leave it be. Maybe she wasn't nervous. Maybe she was still a little sick. "Natsu?" she said suddenly.

"Hm?" he hummed sleepily, tilting his head so it rested on hers.

"I, uh… I have something i-important to tell you." Natsu lifted a hand to his face and pulled his scarf down, revealing those stunning obsidian eyes as they looked down at her.

"Alright…" he said slowly, although it sounded more like a question. "What's up?" Lucy looked away from those piercing eyes and bit her lip. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest, and she was sure he could hear it. She began to fidget with her hands, which didn't go unnoticed. He sat up a little, propping his weight up on his elbows. "Lucy?"

"Um…" She trailed off to swallow the massive lump in her throat. "I… I'm not quite sure… how to tell you this…" Natsu furrowed his brow for a brief moment before grinning.

"You know you can tell me anything, Luce. There's nothing to be embarrassed about." The girl laughed weakly.

"It's not really… embarrassing, it's just…" She trailed off again, causing his grin to falter before slowly falling from his lips completely, morphing into a frown.

"Luce, you're making me nervous," he said uneasily, a weak smile pulling at his lips.

"I know," she said softly as she sat up, looking away from him. Now he was really nervous. What could possibly have Lucy so worked up, so fidgety? Still positioned on his elbows, he stared at the back of her head, hoping that whatever she had to say was just her being _her_, and didn't have any specific meaning behind it.

"Lucy, whatever it is you have to tell me, would you just te—"

"I'm pregnant." She said it softly, so soft that he barely heard her say it, but just didn't make out the words.

"What, Luce? I didn't hear you…" The blonde swallowed harshly, trying to keep that lump down.

"I'm pregnant," she said again, louder this time. Natsu's heart and breathing stopped. Did… did she just say… that she's _pregnant?_ Surely she must be joking. He was about to praise her for startling him so thoroughly, but she hesitantly turned toward him, and he didn't see any fragment of a joke anywhere on her face. She was serious. But even though he knew she wasn't kidding, he couldn't stop himself from asking.

"You… you're kidding," he said quietly, barely above a whisper. She shook her head.

"No… No, I'm not, Natsu. I'm pregnant." There was a long, painful silence between them, and their gaze never wavered from each other. Lucy couldn't read the expression on his face. He seemed so calm, so blank. But she could tell his heart was anything but calm. She could see the artery in his neck pulse against his skin, and she saw his Adam's apple bob as he gulped. It seemed like forever until he spoke.

"I…" he choked out. He swallowed again and tried to keep his voice from cracking. "I… I'm gonna be a dad?" After a silent moment, Lucy nodded.

"Yes, Na—" She never got to finish his name. With surprising speed, he'd grabbed her neck and pulled her into the sweetest kiss he'd ever given her. Needless to say, she was caught completely by surprise. Even more so when he pulled away with a bright grin on his face.

"That's what you didn't know how to tell me?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"You're… you're not mad?" she asked slowly. Natsu guffawed.

"Mad? Why in Edolas would I be mad? I just learned that I'm gonna have a baby with the woman I love. What is there to be mad about?" Lucy gawked, staring at him with wide eyes.

"The w-woman you… _love?_" she repeated quietly. The Salamander rolled his eyes.

"Duh! Of course I'm in love with you! Why wouldn't I be? Luce, you're the funniest, loudest, nicest, strongest, most beautiful girl I've ever met." Lucy smiled, touched by his words. "Not to mention the weirdest." Her smile fell.

"Baka!" she exclaimed, slapping his arm. "You ruined the moment!"

"Yeah, yeah," he dismissed with a grin, leaning in for another kiss.

* * *

**Three months later…**

_Why is it so busy?_ Natsu thought to himself as he pushed through the crowd that flooded the streets of Magnolia. He'd lived in this town for quite some time now, but he didn't remember ever seeing the streets so crowded. He was growing a little frustrated. He'd been out on a mission with Gray and Erza for just a little under a month, and the people were making him take longer to get to Lucy.

Lucy… He'd missed her so much. He hated going on missions without her, but considering her condition, her not coming along wasn't much of an option. He was excited to see how much her belly had grown in his absence. Just thinking about seeing her with a large belly was making him grin like a fool. If only he could just make all these people disappear so he could sprint in the direction of her apartment – well, I guess it was his now, too.

_Finally! There it is!_ He pushed himself up to the door and opened it, taking a deep, steadying breath. _Man,_ he was glad to be out of that mob. After a moment, from down the hall, he heard the voice of an angel. _His_ angel. "Natsu? Is that you?"

"Yeah," he answered breathlessly. "Yeah, it's me." He walked into their bedroom and saw her on the bed, her back against the headboard. She smiled.

"Natsu… I missed you," she said fondly.

"I missed you too."

She waved him over. "Well, get over here and kiss me." The Dragon Slayer chuckled as he approached her and did as he was told. He leaned down and gave her a gentle peck on the lips. The kiss would have lasted longer if she hadn't pulled away with a grimace, a small groan slipping passed her lips.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

Lucy giggled and shook her head. "I'm fine, you goof. The baby's just kicking." The fire wizard froze.

"It's… kicking?" he repeated slowly.

The blonde smiled warmly. "Yeah." Natsu carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, his eyes never leaving her belly. She certainly got bigger while he was away. And now the baby… _his_ baby… was kicking? He inhaled a shaky breath before looking up to meet those beautiful brown eyes with his own. He knew this was stupid, but he couldn't keep himself from doing it. He was new to all of this, and he was extremely hesitant.

"Can I…?" he asked, nodding to her belly. Lucy laughed.

"Of course you can, baby," she said, reaching for his hand. "You're its father." She lightly pressed his palm to her tummy, watching as his face lit up instantly. She smiled briefly before hissing though her teeth. Natsu instantly retracted his hand.

"Does it hurt?" he asked worriedly. Lucy laughed again. He'd been worrying about every little thing since the beginning of her pregnancy, and it amused her. She loved seeing him like this. It was showing that he cares.

"It's just kicking really hard."

"B-because of me?" She hummed and nodded her head. Natsu released a breath he didn't know he was holding and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. When he pulled away, his brow was furrowed in confusion.

Lucy's eyebrow was raised. "Why're you looking at me like that?" The Salamander lifted a hand and touched the back of his fingers to her forehead. Despite his abnormal body temperature, he could still tell that her skin was hotter than normal as well.

"Luce, you're burning up," he stated anxiously.

Lucy giggled. "What would you expect? There's a little fire Dragon Slayer growing inside of me." He felt his heart constrict. He was elated at the thought of him having a child, but hearing those words come from her lips made him happier than what words could describe. In fact, hearing her say that made him fall all the more in love with her. He laughed weakly and leaned his forehead against hers, draping a gentle hand over her swollen tummy. His smile broadened when he felt the child, _his_ child, kick against his palm.

"Luce?" he murmured.

"Hm?"

"Marry me."

* * *

**Six months later…**

The night was quiet, peaceful. The air outside was blowing against the window in a gentle breeze. Three figures were asleep, enjoying the pleasant silence. Happy was asleep in one of Lucy's drawers, Natsu was on their bed on his side with his back to his fiancée, and Lucy was on her back. Everything with her pregnancy was going perfectly, without a hitch. Their baby was healthy, and her due date was nearing. In fact, it should be any moment now. It was two in the morning when Lucy went into labor. She was instantly wide awake as she shot up to a slouched sitting position, hissing through her teeth. "Natsu," she gasped, slapping the mattress between them to get his attention. When he didn't respond, she placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him. "Baby, wake up." Natsu moaned and looked over his shoulder at her.

"Mm? What is it?" he asked, his voice slurred. Lucy cried out in agony, her hand fisting in his shirt.

"Natsu, the baby's coming," she said quickly through clenched teeth. He was immediately alert at her words, leaping off the bed. He stumbled and bumped into Lucy's dresser, waking Happy. He whined and looked up at the couple as Natsu helped Lucy off the bed.

"What's going on?" he asked sleepily.

"Happy, go get Lucy's jacket!" Natsu ordered, pointing to the living room.

"Why?"

"Happy…" said Lucy, looking at him through stressed eyes. She managed to pull off a weak smile. "It's time." Happy gasped excitedly like a kid on Christmas morning and immediately took off to grab her jacket. Lucy groaned and slammed a hand onto her fiancée's shoulder, squeezing it until her knuckles went white.

* * *

_This isn't right_. Natsu thought furiously to himself as he paced in the hall. Wendy and Porlyusica had told him to stay outside during the delivery. The reason? He had no fucking clue. His beloved fiancée was in that room, giving birth to _his_ child, and he was out in the hall? No! He should be in there with her, holding her hand! This was wrong on so many levels. His highly sensitive ears could pick up the sounds of her screaming, and it was driving him crazy. He wanted to be in there, he _needed_ to be in there. Happy was perched on a chair beside the door, watching him as he stalked back and forth. He'd given up trying to calm him down.

It seemed like an eternity until the door to that room finally opened, and Wendy stepped out. She opened her mouth to speak, but Porlyusica brushed passed her and beat her to the punch. "I am done for the night," she said strictly. Without saying anything else, she left, her footsteps gradually fading as she walked down the hall. Natsu turned to the smaller Dragon Slayer.

"Is she okay?" he asked, anxiety prominent in his eyes. Wendy smiled.

"She's fine, Natsu-san," she said softly. She was visibly holding back a large smile, trying to keep it subdued as a grin. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at him, gesturing to the room behind her. "Would you like to meet your daughter?" Natsu felt his heart clench. Daughter? He had a _daughter?_ Oh, somebody pinch him! Actually, don't do a damn thing! He nodded slowly, his mind still trying to fully register the fact that he now had a daughter. Wendy giggled and opened the door, stepping aside to let him in. He carefully stepped inside, his eyes trailing across the room until they landed on the last bed on the right.

There sat Lucy with a thick white blanket over her legs. She was smiling fondly at something in her arms, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what that something was. The floor creaked beneath his feet as he approached her, catching her attention. She looked up at him and her smile grew considerably. "Natsu…" she said softly. "Come here." The Dragon Slayer had to remind himself how to breathe as he did as told and stepped up to her bedside, his eyes never wavering from the small, sleeping child in her arms. Lucy looked down at the baby, and back up at her fiancée. "Wanna hold her?" she asked sweetly. A small smile curled onto Natsu's lips as he nodded his head. He leaned forward and carefully took the small child into his arms, holding her against his chest.

He'd never seen such a small child. And he never imagined that a newborn baby could be so… beautiful. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen – save Lucy, of course. He couldn't stop the goofy grin from spreading across his face as he stared down at his daughter's sleeping face. Her skin was lightly tanned, and she had the finest pink hair among her head. He lifted a hand to her face and grazed his fingers against her cheek, reveling in the softness of her skin. He quickly took notice with a smirk that his hand was massive compared to her, his palm alone being bigger than her head. He released a breathy laugh. Such a tiny little thing.

The child stirred in his arms, making that cute noise that only a newborn can make, and slowly opened her eyes. They were a dark, chocolate-y brown, just like her mother's. She blinked at him innocently, making his heart melt. "She's gorgeous…" he whispered. Lucy laughed lightly and nodded her head.

"She is," she agreed, looking up at his face. She'd only seen that far-off look in his onyx eyes a couple of times, and it was something she loved to see. He was wearing that adorable half smile, showing off one of his sharp fangs. She sighed. "You know," she began, pushing herself up into a more comfortable position. Natsu glanced down at her, but found it incredibly hard to tear his attention away from his daughter for more than a couple of seconds. "We still have to name her." That sentence, however, caught his full attention. He looked down at the blonde-haired beauty.

"What… did you have in mind?" he asked curiously. Lucy tilted her head, pursing her lips in thought. After a silent couple of seconds, she smiled and turned back to him.

"I like Nashi." Natsu thought about that for a moment. He grinned and looked back at his daughter, who was taking a look around the room with those big, expressive eyes that eerily mirrored her mother's. He held out his index finger to her. She looked down at it with interest, gurgled cutely, and then wrapped her whole hand around it, causing his heart to constrict for the zillionth time that day.

"Nashi…" he murmured with the gentlest smile Lucy had ever seen on his face. "I love it."

"It's settled then," said Lucy. "Her name is Nashi." His gentle grin formed into a brilliant smile that showed off his bright white teeth, his fangs glinting.

"Hi, Nashi," he said to his daughter. Nashi grinned a toothless grin and squeezed her father's finger in her delicate hand. Natsu leaned down and placed a kiss on her smooth forehead. The child gurgled happily, which caused both of her parents to laugh. The father looked down at the mother, and he suddenly felt like the happiest man alive.

How in the world did he get so lucky?

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina!**

**WHOO! I have no idea what's with me and all of these mushy oneshots lately, but I LOVE IT! This was originally supposed to end right after she told him that she was pregnant, but then I decided I just couldn't end it there.**

**Well, I hope you guys liked it just as much as I do! Let me know in a review! Review are loved and greatly appreciated!**


	2. Daddy

Daddy

**Author's Note: I couldn't help myself from adding chapters to this story. x)**

**Well, they're not **_**chapters**_**, per se, but just little snippets of their lives as Nashi gets older, you know? I hope you guys like it. Please review.**

* * *

He was home alone with his beautiful three-month-old daughter that night. Lucy went out with the girls for some well-deserved time away from their apartment. Natsu had put the child to be around half an hour ago, so the house was pretty quiet. He was just finishing up putting away Nashi's toys when he heard her crying. He dropped what he was holding and speed-walked to her room. She was in her cradle – as he'd left her – and her blanket was pushed to the side, her arms and legs flailing as she cried. Natsu stepped into her room and leaned over the cradle to pick her up. "Hey, baby," he cooed softly, hoping to calm her down. Nashi continued to cry, but her voice had dwindled down a little. He brushed some of her light pink hair from her face as he began to rock her back and forth. "What's the matter?"

The small child clasped his one-sleeved shirt with both of her tiny hands, desperately trying to tell him something. _She can't be hungry_, he reasoned. _I fed her before I put her to bed. Maybe she needs to burp?_ He lifted her up to his shoulder and gently pat her back. It didn't seem to do anything but cause her to wail. Natsu cringed at the high frequency beside his sensitive ear and settled her back against his chest, his ear ringing. _Nope._ He lifted a hand to her cheek and wiped her tears away with his thumb. "What is it, Nashi?" he asked gently as he started to bounce up and down. "Do you want Mama?" Nashi immediately halted her cries and looked up at him with big, tearful brown eyes. Natsu wasn't at all surprised with her response. She was incredibly smart from the day she was born. She may not be able to speak, but she seemed to understand some of what her parents would say to her.

_That must be it,_ he thought with a grin. _She wants Lucy._ He reached into her cradle and grabbed her blanket, taking it with them as they her room. Sitting cross-legged on his and Lucy's bed, her wrapped her in her blanket. Like her father, Nashi had a heightened sense of smell, so he figured sitting on their bed – which was drenched in her mother's scent – would calm her down, even in the slightest. And it worked… for a moment. Nashi quickly began to cry again, causing Natsu to jump in surprise and rock her back and forth. "Shh..." he hushed. "It's okay. Daddy's here. Shh…" It took a while, but the Dragon Slayer finally managed to calm her down, and before long, she was falling asleep in his arms.

Natsu found it nearly impossible to look anywhere but at Nashi. She was so beautiful. He knew he said it a lot, but it was true. She was the most beautiful child he'd ever laid his eyes on. And she was _his_ child. That was the best part. The most gorgeous child in the world was his. He leaned back against the headboard with a sigh, lifting a hand to Nashi's face. He tenderly touched the back of his fingers to her soft cheek. She gurgled and leaned into his touch in her sleep, sounding a soft laugh from the fire wizard. He heard a giggle from across the room and looked up, surprised. Lucy was standing in the doorway. He hadn't noticed her presence. Hell, he didn't even hear her come in. "You are such a mush ball," she said lovingly, looking at him with angelic eyes. Natsu blushed. He hated when she caught him acting like that. She would do nothing but tease him about being a softy. He huffed.

"Yeah, whatever," he mumbled, looking back to his sleeping daughter before his blush darkened. He heard Lucy's approaching footsteps and felt her sit on the bed next to him. She reached over to Nashi and stroked the pink hair on her skull. She looked up at Natsu.

"She looks like you," she said softly. Despite how much he tried to avoid acting all mushy in front of her, he couldn't stifle the warm smile that crawled onto his face. He turned to his fiancée.

"You think?" he asked quietly. Lucy leaned her head on his shoulder and nodded.

"Mm, hm." Natsu swallowed and looked back down at Nashi. Lucy placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "After all, you're her Daddy." He felt a twinge of giddy excitement in his chest.

"Daddy…" he repeated. His heart was throbbing. Calling himself a father was strange, but it made him happy beyond what words could describe.


	3. Learning to Walk

Learning to Walk

* * *

"Hey, Luce?" Natsu called from the kitchen, lifting Nashi off of his feet and into his arms. He and Lucy were currently teaching her how to walk by helping her stand on their feet and walking her around the house. Lucy popped her head into the kitchen.

"Yes?" she chirped curiously, Happy flying into the room. He flew up to Natsu and rubbed his furry head against the little girl's cheek. The feline had taken a liking to Nashi, frequently referring to her as his sister, and he was currently her best friend. She was a gentle child, so he didn't mind playing with her or babysitting her whenever Natsu and Lucy went shopping or something like that.

"How about we walk her to the guild? She's six months old, and she's only been to Fairy Tail like three times." Lucy folded her arms and pursed her lips in thought. He had a point. Why they hadn't taken her to the guild more often was a mystery to her. She honestly didn't know.

"That's a good idea," she said slowly after a moment. "And I'm pretty sure our friends would love to walk her around a little too."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Natsu said quickly. "I don't mind having one of the girls walk her around, but I am _not_ allowing Frost Bite teach my kid how to walk."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Natsu, don't be such a child. You know just as well as I do that Nashi likes Gray, and he _is_ your friend just as he is mine, whether you are willing to admit it or not." Natsu looked away, his lips twisted into a scowl, ignoring his daughter's slobbering on his scarf. He tsked. He would much rather have Mira or Lisanna or even _Erza_ walk around with his little girl, but he _would not_ stand for the stripper even playing with her. It would take some good convincing for him to allow such a thing.

* * *

Gray ended up spending the majority of the day with Nashi. He was currently sitting at the bar with her on his knee, which was rapidly bouncing, sounding cute gurgling giggles from the young child. And it was effectively aggravating that child's father, who was sitting a barstool away with his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. Gray absolutely _loved_ Nashi, as did the rest of the guild. She was such a sweet girl who was never unhappy. She was fascinated by the chain around his neck and would stare at it in awe every time it was in her line of vision. She was equally interested in his bracelet, and would try to find a way to remove it from his wrist so she could look at it more closely.

Which the ice wizard didn't mind at all, because she was _just too adorable_.

It was a pleasant day for Juvia as well, because watching Gray act so cute with a child made her heart melt.

The exhibitionist – surprisingly fully clothed looked over at Natsu. "Why're you looking at me like that, flame brain?" he asked, speaking over Nashi's giggles. The Salamander stayed silent, eyes narrowing even further, his black irises glinting dangerously. Gray snorted as his knee bounced particularly high, sounding a delighted squeal from Nashi as she clapped her hands. "Don't get your panties in a twist just because she likes me more than her own father." Natsu's hand suddenly clenched on the drink it was holding, the glass cup shattering onto the bar table. Gray and Mira jumped in surprise while Nashi applauded with silly giggles.

Stupid man…

Knowing where this was going, Mira quickly reached over the bar and took Nashi from Gray's lap as Natsu stood from the barstool. With incredible speed, he threw his fist into the dark haired wizard's jaw. He grunted and fell backward onto the floor. The two rivals quickly went into an all-out brawl.

* * *

**Later that night…**

The walk home was relatively silent, the only noise being Nashi's excited coos as they passed by something that caught her interest. She was in her mother's arms. Natsu preferred to walk a couple of steps behind Lucy, knowing that she was angry with him. He was pretty beaten up with a small bruise under his left eye, his lower lip busted and puffy, and many scratches ran along his arms. His right hand was torn up rather well, considering all of the glass shards that cut through his skin from the cup at the bar.

Summoning the courage to try and talk to a practically fuming Lucy, he broke the uncomfortable silence. "Uh, Lu—"

"I don't want to hear it, Natsu," she said firmly, silencing him immediately. He should've known better than to try and explain. She _never_ lets him say his piece. She would lecture him for a good half hour before letting him speak, even though it was usually required to be an apology and a statement saying he understood what she had just told him. He dreaded the moment they walked through the door to their apartment, for that's when the explosion would begin. "You don't have to explain," she said, her voice softer. "It's alright. Gray should have known better than to say something like that, and believe me, I'll beat him for you tomorrow."

Natsu's eyes widened. What… had she just said? "Luce…"

"Let's just get home and clean up those wounds, alright?" Natsu could only nod dumbly as they continued their trek home. Once they reached their destination, Lucy sat her daughter in her high chair and gave Nashi her dinner, before sitting Natsu down at the table and leaving to get the first aid kit. The fire wizard watched his child as she ate her mushy food, a small smile fading onto his face. When Lucy came back and sat down beside him, she requested his hand. He set his hand on the table with his palm up, wincing as she began to clean and disinfect it. "Didn't that hurt?" she asked, glancing up at him through her eyelashes. He shrugged.

"I didn't really notice it until a couple of minutes ago," he answered, trying not to clench his hand into a fist. By the time she finished wrapping up his hand, Nashi was finished with her dinner and wanting to get out of the high chair. Her mother quickly lifted her out and wiped her face, setting her on the floor before continuing with her fiancée's wounds. With her eyes fixated on his busted lip, she failed to notice what her daughter was doing. "Uh, Lucy?" Natsu whispered, his eyes wide as he watched it through the corner of his eye.

"Stop moving."

"But Luce…"

"What?" she snapped, pulling away and shooting him a glare.

"Nashi was walking just a second ago," he said slowly, turning to face the child sitting on the tiled floor.

"That isn't possible, Natsu. She isn't old enough."

"Dragon Slayers learn and mature faster than normal humans."

Lucy snorted. "I find that hard to believe." Natsu shot her a look and stood up from the chair and walked to the kitchen counter, only several feet away from Nashi.

"Nashi!" he called, settling down on his knees. Said girl turned her head toward the sound of her father's voice and grinned toothlessly. He held out his arms and motioned for her to come to him. "Come here." Nashi tilted her head to the side like a confused puppy. The Dragon Slayer smiled and beckoned her again. "Come here." By this point, Lucy had stood up as well and positioned herself behind her daughter.

"Go to Daddy," she said, helping the young wizard onto her feet. She pointed at her fiancée. "Go on. Go to Daddy." The celestial wizard gently urged her daughter forward. After some encouraging words, Nashi took a wobbly step forward, followed by another, and another. "That's it!" Lucy exclaimed excitedly.

"Come on, baby girl," Natsu pressed, showing off his fangs in a blinding grin. "You can do it!" The child swayed as her balance faltered slightly, but steadily regained it and continued toward her father. After a little under a minute, she finally managed to get close enough to Natsu for him to swoop his hands under her arms and lift her up into his arms, cheering as he did. Lucy joined him and wrapped an arm around his waist, and he could feel an intense sensation of pride in his chest. He leaned down to kiss Lucy's forehead, only to retract almost instantly. He winced as his busted lip began to pulse.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina!**

**So… how was it? Good? Let me know in a review! I love you guys so much!**


	4. Quality Time

Quality Time

* * *

"So when are they coming back?" asked Mirajane as she polished one of the beer mugs. Natsu sat at one of the barstools, his curious daughter sitting on the counter in front of him, giggling whenever he made a silly face.

"Um, in two days, I think," he answered without looking away from Nashi. He crossed his eyes and puckered his lips like a fish, dropping the face as his little girl let out a squeal of delight. Mira and Levy also giggled. Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Charle, and Happy had gone out on a mission, and it was Natsu's turn to stay home. He'd been left alone with Nashi for almost two weeks, not that he had a problem with it. But he was a little concerned about Lucy. He knew she could take care of herself - he's seen her do so before – but he wasn't a big fan of letting her go on a mission without him. If she were to get hurt, he wasn't there to protect her. Granted, she had Gray and Erza with her – and Wendy, of course, in case she _did_ get hurt – but he couldn't help but worry.

Happy offered to stay and help him with Nashi, but he refused, claiming that Lucy needed him more than he did. He kind of regretted denying the offer, though, because the house would get way too quiet for his liking once Nashi had gone to bed.

"Do you miss her?" asked Levy, although she already knew the answer. Natsu glanced at her and scoffed.

"Duh," he said. "The nights are too boring without her." The bookworm and the barmaid exchanged mischievous glances.

"Oh?" said Mira, lifting an eyebrow. "Too boring at night, you say? Why Natsu. I had no idea the two of you were so libidinous." The Dragon Slayer quirked an eyebrow, confused at the use of such a big word.

"What does that mean?" Levy giggled and waggled her eyebrows.

"What exactly do the two of you _do_ at night that makes it so… _interesting?_" As realization hit him, Natsu snapped his eyes up to Levy's, shocked (and somewhat embarrassed.)

"Wh-what?" he stuttered, a distinctive blush fanning across his tanned cheeks. "N-n-no! That's not what I m-meant!" He looked away for a moment and said quietly to himself, "We don't do it _every_ night…"

"Then what _did_ you mean?"

"I-I-I meant… it's just different without her there, y'know? It's too quiet." Levy and Mirajane nodded, an identical, knowing grin on their faces.

"Ah, I see," Mira said slowly. Fed up with the teasing, Natsu lifted Nashi into his arms and stood.

"I'm gonna head out early," he said quickly, playing off the intense blush on his face. He turned to Nashi. "Say bye." Still not being able to talk, Nashi lifted her small hand waved, a toothless grin stretched across her pretty face. The two girls giggled and waved back, earning a cute gurgling noise from the back of Nashi's throat. Natsu laughed as well, waving himself as he turned to leave. "See you tomorrow, guys."

"Bye, Natsu," the girls said in unison. As soon as the doors shut behind him, they turned to each other.

"He is such an adorable father," Levy mused. Mira nodded in agreement.

"He's so innocent, too."

* * *

"Can you believe them, Nashi?" Natsu asked his daughter in a goofy voice as he sat down on the bed, settling her in his lap. "Teasing Daddy about doing naughty things with Mama." Nashi suckled on his scarf. He spoke in his normal voice. "I'm glad you don't understand what I'm saying." Nashi continued to blissfully gnaw on his scarf, her brown eyes glinting happily. Natsu smiled gently. She was so cute. Suddenly, she stopped sucking, her eyes wide as they fixated on something to his right. Natsu's eyebrows furrowed and he looked over his shoulder, trying to see whatever she saw. But nothing out of the ordinary was behind him, so he turned back to her. "What do you see?" he asked, as if expecting an answer.

"Ah," she gurgled, reaching for the part of his scarf that sat on his right shoulder. "Ah." She pulled it down and placed a tiny hand on his neck, right over his scar. She looked up at him, her big chocolate eyes seeming… worried. Natsu chuckled.

"It's nothing, baby girl," he assured softly, reaching up and taking her soft hand into his. He lifted it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "That's from a long time ago." Nashi looked up at her father's face, but quickly reattached her gaze to the jagged, discolored piece of flesh on his neck, eying it curiously. Natsu laughed at the look on her face – which, unbeknownst to him, mirrored his face – and stood up from the couch. "Alright, silly girl. Bath time." At the word 'bath,' Nashi looked up at him with a large grin and happily clapped her hands together.

The Salamander sat on the floor beside the bathtub, resting his side on the side of the tub while he watched her play with her toys. He reeled back when she splashed water into his face. She laughed as he wiped his face dry with his scarf. He looked at her. "You think that's funny?" he asked playfully. He dipped his fingertips into the lukewarm water and flicked some back at her. She whined and pouted, causing him to smirk. "What? You can dish it out but you can't take it?" As if understanding what he said, Nashi swiped her hand into the water to get him back, effectively soaking the front of his shirt. He growled playfully and made a move to splash back, but Nashi sneezed before he could get the chance.

A wispy trail of fire shot from her mouth, flew passed his head, and scorched the shower curtain. With wide, stunned eyes, Natsu looked at the curtain – which now had a large chunk of it missing – and back to his daughter. She was giggling as she applauded her work. "Bless you…" Natsu said slowly, a small half grin crawling onto his face. He was too proud of his daughter to even think about how Lucy would react when she got home.

* * *

Natsu willingly let Gray play with his daughter when he and the girls got back from the mission. He was sitting a barstool away, just waiting for Nashi to sneeze. And when she did, Gray's shirt – yes, he was wearing a shirt – caught fire immediately. With a yelp of surprise, he stumbled off of the barstool, trying to take it off. Juvia doused him with water and flocked to him, asking if he was alright. Natsu nearly fell off his stool from laughing so hard. Mirajane and Lucy also began to giggle.

"Pa… payback's a bitch!" the Dragon Slayer shouted between laughs. "Isn't it, Ice Queen?"

"I'm gonna kill you, Dragon Breath!" Gray threatened, fisting Natsu's shirt and lifting him out of his seat. The fire wizard was completely unfazed as he continued to laugh, tears of mirth forming in the corners of his eyes.

"But I d-didn't do any… anything!" he defended, not even trying to push his rival away. He was too caught up in giggles to do anything but slap his hand against the counter. Gray cocked his fist back for a punch, but Lucy stepped between them, dislodging Gray's other hand from her beloved's shirt.

"Learn to take a joke, Gray," she said merrily, a wide smile spread across her own face. She grabbed Natsu by the scarf and took Nashi into her free arm, making her way for the door. "Let's go you two goofballs. I want to go home." When they got to their apartment, Lucy turned to Natsu, her eyes wide with excitement. "When did she start breathing fire?"

"The other day," Natsu answered, his grin permanently stuck on his face. "It scared the shit outta me." He began to laugh again, but stopped short when Lucy pulled his head down for a kiss. His eyes rolled back into his skull as he began to kiss back. They pulled back after a moment.

"I missed you two," she said softly, kissing the top of Nashi's head.

"We missed you too." Lucy smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek before handing him their daughter and making her way for the bathroom.

"I'm gonna take a quick shower."

"Okay." It wasn't until Lucy closed the bathroom door and screamed when Natsu remembered the shower curtain.

"_Natsu Dragneel!"_

"Shit…"

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! So… I got a review saying that fiancée means before they get married. Yes, I know what it means. I used it because Natsu and Lucy are not married yet. It's a wedding at Fairy Tail, it's gonna take some time. :D Maybe I'll write about the wedding… Maybe not, because I suck at weddings…**

**Anyway, how was it? Good? I hope so. Let me know in a review!**


	5. Sleepless Night

Sleepless Night

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! So… this chapter contains a reference to one of my other stories, **_**Terror Unknown**_**. So, if you haven't read it, I would advise you to do so. And Natsu and Lucy are still engaged. At this point in time, their wedding is in a week or so. Don't worry. I already have the wedding idea written down. It will definitely be a chapter. :)**

**Anyway, I hope you guys like it. Leave a review!**

* * *

Natsu woke with a start, a faint sheen of cold sweat making his bare neck and torso shine in the moonlight. He propped his weight on his elbows, his chest heaving slightly. He'd been having… odd dreams as of late, and he wasn't quite sure why. Maybe it was because it was close to the anniversary of… of when he almost lost Lucy…

He paused. Why was he having nightmares about _that?_ That happened years ago, and it hadn't bothered him like this before. He pushed himself up into a sitting position to think, his heart rate finally going back to normal.

_This isn't over, Salamander._

He said that seven years ago, and he never showed his face again. Natsu supposed he should be glad that his threat was empty, but he couldn't but be uneasy. Somewhere deep inside of him, he was afraid that bastard would come back and finish the job with Lucy when he wasn't there to protect her. As a matter of fact, he was terrified of coming back from a mission and finding her mutilated body on the living room floor. But that fear had gotten worse.

He had a _child_ now, too.

Natsu looked across the room, toward Nashi's bedroom. He knew if something were to have happened to her while he was asleep, he would've woken up from a strange presence or his daughter's frightened scream. But he couldn't stop himself from sliding out of bed, careful not to wake a slumbering Lucy, and quietly walked to his daughter's room.

He silently opened the door and stepped inside, approaching her crib. She was there, asleep, cuddled up close to Happy, and unharmed. She was perfectly fine. Natsu breathed a sigh of relief and leaned over to place a soft kiss on her forehead. He gently closed the door behind him as he left, making his way back to his own bedroom. Once he slipped back into bed, he turned onto his side and propped his head up on his hand, gazing at his fiancée's sleeping face. She was breathtaking even in her sleep. The way her face lay on the pillow made her cheek puffy, and her golden hair shined delicately with the gentle light of the moon.

Natsu smiled dreamily as he reached up and brushed her hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead, just as he did with Nashi. "I love you," he whispered, his hand gently stroking her hair. As if she heard him, she stirred in her sleep, pushing her face farther into the pillow, sounding a light chuckle from the Dragon Slayer. He was insanely in love with this woman. And just think, in a couple of days, he going to be married to her, and the thought made his heart thump particularly hard.

If he were to ever see that bastard's face again, the psycho that nearly killed Lucy, he would make sure he never saw the light of another day. As long as he was alive, nothing would ever hurt her that badly again. And the same goes for Nashi. If anything were to happen either of his girls, there will be hell to pay. If it came to it, he would give his life to protect them. "I promise." With that said, he yawned, and declared it time for him to go back to sleep. Moving carefully, he slipped his arm under her neck and pulled her closer to him. Lucy hummed sleepily and snuggled into his shoulder, sighing into his skin. He fell into a peaceful sleep.


	6. Fairy Wedding

Fairy Wedding

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! So, as you may have noticed, I have changed my penname to SanseiAme. **_**Sansei ame **_**is Japanese for "acid rain." Don't ask why I changed it to that, because it's a long story that I don't wanna get into. You can now call me Ame, if you would so be inclined. Also, sorry it took me so long to update. It's just… school has been a real pain in my neck lately. My English teacher is all up in my ass with this stupid persuasive essay I have to right… So… yeah. Again, I apologize for my absence. But don't worry! I always come back with a vengeance! So, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for!**

**Natsu and Lucy's wedding! I hope it turned out alright, because, as stated in previous chapters, I suck at writing weddings. So, hopefully me coming back hasn't resulted in your disappointment. Anyway, leaving a review would be awesome. And if you do leave a review, you'll get a cookie in the mail.**

* * *

"Oi, flame brain. Chill."

"I can't."

"I've never seen you like this. What's got you so worked up, man?"

"I'm just… nervous, I guess."

"Yeah, I can see that. I mean, your clothes are practically peeling away due to heat emanating off of you. What do you gotta be nervous about?"

"I…" Natsu trailed off as he paced back and forth, coming to a stop as he thought about the answer to Gray's question. His heart was beating a million miles per hour and the furniture in the room was close to melting because of his magic. He had a valid reason to be nervous, for it wasn't every day that one got married to Lucy Heartfilia. He'd been fidgety all morning, and having Gray as the best man wasn't really doing anything to help calm him down. In fact, it made him worse. "I-It's just…" He paused again, turning to the fully clothed ice alchemist leaning against the wall. "Wh-what if she changes her mind?" he asked softly. Gray snorted, a grin tugging at his lips.

"C'mon, man," he said casually, lifting a hand to tug at the collar of his nice button-down shirt, as if wanting to remove it. "You and I both know that if she was gonna change her mind, she woulda done it by now." Natsu's shoulders drooped, obviously not at all comforted with that statement.

"Thanks, cuz that makes me feel better," he said sarcastically as he resumed his pacing. The exhibitionist's smile slowly fell from his face until it was a subtle frown as he realized his mistake.

"What I mean is… Lucy's a nice girl," he corrected himself, folding his arms across his chest. "If she were to change her mind about marrying you, she wouldn't wait until the ceremony. She wouldn't humiliate you in front of everyone." The Dragon Slayer stilled. He had a point. Lucy wouldn't do that to him. He turned to his comrade, confused as to why he was suddenly chuckling.

"What're you laughing about, snow cone?" he snapped, obviously not in the mood.

"Nothing," Gray dismissed with a grin, waving it off with his hand. "You just look like a wreck." Natsu spun around to face the closest mirror, and sure enough, he really _did_ look like he'd just came off a train. His hair was disheveled – worse than usual – his suit appeared to be singed, and his face seemed rather… discolored.

"Shit…" he muttered. He turned to Gray for help, but he'd already left his position against the wall, approaching the door.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I'll go get Mira." Natsu swallowed. He half thanked his rival for helping him in his time of need, but he also wanted him to stay. He _really_ didn't want to be alone right now.

* * *

"Oi, Mira," Gray called as he lightly rapped on the door to the girls' "dressing room," according to Levy. He heard the sounds of rushed footsteps before the door opened, and a nicely dressed Mirajane stepped out, closing the door behind her.

"What is it, Gray?" she asked, her voice seeming a little frazzled. Although Gray couldn't blame her. She'd been running around all morning, helping the bridesmaids with Lucy and assisting the boys whenever she found time – which was close to never.

"Natsu needs a little help looking presentable," he answered quickly, vaguely pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Ah… Alright. Let me tell the girls." She quickly slipped back passed the door, and popped her head back out a moment later. "Um, Gray?" she said softly. Gray nodded, gesturing her to continue. "Could you come in for a quick second? Lucy wants a man's opinion."

"Uh… sure." Mira opened the door to let him inside, and he was instantly blown away. The bridesmaids – Erza, Juvia, and Levy – were beautiful, dressed in identical strapless, powder blue gowns that ended just above their ankles, their hair pulled back into fancy up-dos. But Lucy… she was absolutely _gorgeous._ Gray had never seen her so breathtaking, so radiant. She still looked nervous, but she looked a lot better than Natsu at the moment. Her strapless, silk dress was the purest white, and the area around her chest was blanketed with intricate lace designs. Her hair was down, nothing special done to it. Natsu told her that he liked her hair when it was down, saying the simplicity of it amplified her beauty. That's not what he said exactly, but it's basically what he implied. The veil clipped to her hair framed her face in the most perfect of ways.

"P-please be honest," Lucy stuttered, subconsciously smoothening out the nonexistent wrinkles on her dress. Gray released an airy chuckle.

"Wow," he said softly, literally at a loss of words. "Lucy, you look… wow." Lucy laughed weakly. "I'm gonna tell you this as your brother. I've never seen you look so beautiful. I mean, dragon breath is in the other room looking like a train wreck, and here you are, looking like a princess straight out from a fairy tale. And I gotta say, Natsu is one lucky man." He smiled. "I don't know what you see in him, but whatever it is, I'm glad you see it." Lucy beamed, shifting excitedly on her heeled feet. There was a knock at the door and Wendy stepped inside, her hair in identical pigtails.

"Lucy, are you ready?" she asked, a soft smile gracing her features. Lucy's eyes immediately widened like a deer in headlights, her heart suddenly kicking into overdrive. She was about to cling to Gray and beg him to freeze her heart so it would stop, but he and Mira were already pushing out of the room. So instead, she turned to her bridesmaids.

"I'm gonna pass out," she said quickly, feeling extremely light headed all of a sudden. Juvia placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You're going to be fine, Lucy," she said with an excited smile. "Juvia knows you will."

"She's right, Lu-chan," said Levy, vehemently nodding her head. "It's going to be okay."

"The only thing you have to worry about is making sure Natsu stays on his feet during the ceremony," Erza joked, causing them all to laugh.

* * *

This was it.

It was finally happening.

If only she would just _come out already!_ They've been standing there, waiting for the song to start playing, for what seemed to be hours; but in reality, it was only about seven minutes. Natsu really wanted to get this over with. The waiting was causing his anxiety meter to burst at the seams, and the only man to his left that was actually helping him calm down was Romeo. Gray and Gildarts weren't exactly the best men to have around at the moment. Gray with his big mouth, and Gildarts with his "just be aware, Natsu. Marriage is one of the last legal forms of slavery." Thank Mavis that Romeo was being supportive, otherwise Natsu would be having a nervous breakdown in the other room.

"Natsu-nii," Romeo said, reaching passed Gray to lay a hand on his older brother figure.

"What is it, Romeo?"

"You're gonna be fine. Lucy-nee loves you." The younger fire wizard offered a reassuring smile to the older one, which was returned with a shaky grin.

"I know, Romeo. It's still a little nerve-wracking, though." Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, that song began to play. Everyone – including the rest of Fairy Tail and members of Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus, even Jellal and the spirit of Mavis – stood and turned to look toward the back of the guild. Natsu's heart stopped. He couldn't count how many times he's said it, but _damn._ He was getting married to the most beautiful woman in all of Fiore. Why she had chosen _him_ among other people, he had no idea. But he wasn't about to stop and ask.

She stood as a vision before him, dressed it the whitest gown he'd ever seen. She was… She was… Ugh, he wanted to use a better word than 'beautiful' but his brain wasn't letting him access a more efficient vocabulary. In fact, his mental dictionary didn't go very far beyond 'wow' and 'pretty' at the moment. He was completely at a loss of words. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to say. Before he knew it, she was standing beside him.

He didn't know why, but Mavis was the priest. After he thought about it, he supposed it made sense.

"Good afternoon," said the spirit. "We gather here today to witness and celebrate an act of deep love. Lucy and Natsu, in their devotion, respect and love for each other, and wish to unite in the bond of marriage, and to dedicate themselves to each other's happiness and well-being as life mates and partners. On behalf of them," she paused, and gestured to the crowd, "I welcome all of you. Although this is their day, it is also a tribute to all of you. For knowing you and interacting with you has helped to make Lucy and Natsu who they needed to be in order to find each other. They would like to thank all of you for that. You all hold a place in their hearts reserved for those that they have chosen to call family and friends, and they are deeply grateful for each and every one of you here today.

"Marriage is a supreme sharing," Mavis continued, her voice calm and smooth. "Perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure in the most intimate of human relationships. It is the joyful uniting of two people whose care and affection and understanding have flowered into a deep and abiding love. Those who take its sacred vows have their lives blended together into one, as the waters of two rivers are joined when they come together to form an even greater one.

"No ceremony can create your marriage. Only you can do that through love, patience, dedication, perseverance through talking and listening and trying to understand through helping and supporting and believing in each other through learning to forgive, learning to respect and appreciate you differences, and learning to make the important things matter and to let go of the rest. What the ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you have made to being a new life today as husband and wife.

"Lucy and Natsu, if you are ready to step into the circle of matrimony, assuming all its rights, obligations and abundant joys, please so indicate by joining hands." The two wizards turned to face each other and did as told. Mavis smiled. "Do you, Lucy Heartfilia, take this man, Natsu Dragneel, as your husband, to love him and to honor him, to nurture and support him in times of joy and in times of difficulty? Do you promise to remain by his side regardless of what trouble befalls you, and in the presence of temptation to forsake this love? Do you promise to remain steadfast and true? Do you promise with all your heart and soul to honor this vow till death do you part?"

"I do," Lucy promised without hesitation. Natsu's heart thumped, and his smile broadened to show off his fangs.

"Do you, Natsu Dragneel, take this woman, Lucy Heartfilia, as your wife, to love her and to honor her, to nurture and support her in times of joy and in times of difficulty? Do you promise to remain by her side regardless of what trouble befalls you, and in the presence of temptation to forsake this love? Do you promise to remain steadfast and true? Do you promise with all your heart and soul to honor this vow till death do you part?"

"I do." Mavis nodded curtly before she moved on to the next part.

"Very well. And so we come, Lucy and Natsu, to the presentation of the rings by which you symbolize and bind your love." As the best man and maid of honor handed the rings to the bride and groom, Mavis began another speech. "The circle has long been a symbol of spirit and power. The wind in its greatest power whirls. The sun and moon, both round, come forth and go down again in a circle. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. Without beginning or end and with no point of weakness, the circle is a reminder of unending strength. Let the seamless circle of these rings become the symbol of your endless love and unending faithfulness. Your wedding rings are most special because they say that even in your uniqueness, you have chosen to be bonded, to allow the presence of another human being to enhance who you are. Your rings carry a potent double message: We are individuals and yet we belong; we are not alone. As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are but also the glorious union that you are now creating.

"Lucy, place the ring on Natsu's finger and repeat after me," Mavis instructed. As Lucy slipped the silver band onto Natsu's left hand, the spirit recited "As this ring…"

"As this ring…" Lucy repeated.

"…has no end…"

"…has no end…"

"…neither shall my love for you."

"…neither shall my love for you."

"Natsu, place the ring on Lucy's finger and repeat after me." After the process had been repeated, Mavis said "Wear these rings as the enclosing bond of reverence and trust. Fulfill the circle of love that now makes one." With a blissful Nashi in her lap, Wendy lifted a hand to her face and wiped away the tears brimming in her eyes, as did most of the girls (and Gildarts, but to him, that didn't happen.) "Lucy and Natsu, now that the two of you have joined hands and placed the rings on each other's fingers in the presence of your family and nakama, you have declared your eternal love for each other. By the power vested in me, and in the name of Fairy Tail, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. Natsu, you may now kiss the bride."

Lucy practically threw herself into his arms, catching him off guard. He recovered immediately and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off the floor and holding her against him. The guild cheered and applauded, but neither of them heard any of it. In the drawn out moment of time, it was just them, and nothing else mattered. Natsu's heart soared. Lucy was _his_, and she would _always_ be his.


	7. Coming Home

Coming Home

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! Thank you so much for all of the reviews for the previous chapter! You guys said the wedding was really good, so I'm glad. I was really nervous about it, so you have no idea how happy it made me to see that you guys loved it.**

**Oh, and just to let you guys know. Those of you who have read the first chapter of **_**Spellbound**_**, I'm not going to continue it until summer. My teacher told me about the classes I'm going to have up until then, and I'm going to be pretty busy. But don't worry, I'll update **_**To Be Lucky**_** as often as I can. I just don't think I'll have enough time to work on a full-on story, you know?**

**Anyway, on with the family-fluffiness!**

* * *

"So," said Erza as she, Gray, and Natsu made their way back to Magnolia, "how are things with you and Lucy?" Natsu turned to the swordswoman, and he couldn't help but grin at the mentioning of her name alone. They'd been married for a month, but he still felt like it was just yesterday. The giddy excited feeling in his chest never seemed to falter, and it always intensified whenever Lucy was brought up in conversation.

"Great," he answered quickly, glancing up at the stars through the trees. The stars always reminded him of her. "Fantastic, actually. I don't think the two of us have ever been so happy." Erza offered her signature subdued grin and lightly touched his shoulder. Even Gray couldn't help but smile.

"That's great to hear," Erza said softly before turning to Gray. "And what about you and Juvia? Anything new?" The ice alchemist grinned toothily, and he briefly had a slight spring in his step. Which didn't go unnoticed by the Dragon Slayer, who snickered quietly to himself. Erza glanced at him, and he wished he had his scarf so he could hide his amused grin, but he resorted to using his hand instead. He left his scarf at home with Lucy. He did every time he went on a mission without her since they started dating. He didn't know why, he just did.

"Juvia and I… are, uh, getting married," Gray said slowly, his eye twitching in annoyance as Natsu continued to giggle, mocking him by skipping alongside Erza. The exhibitionist managed to keep that toothy grin on his face, however. Natsu stopped laughing and his stride evened back to walking.

"Copycat," he sneered rather immaturely. Gray reached passed Erza and slammed a fist down on the top of his head. In return, Natsu reached his leg behind the redhead and caught his rival's foot with his own, effectively tripping him.

"_Enough,"_ Erza warned dangerously, wanting to stop the problem before it became a problem. The boys huffed in unison and stuffed their hands into their pockets. Then, she turned to the taller of the two males. "You asked Juvia to marry you?"

"Yup."

"Tsk," Natsu scoffed. "You just couldn't deal with it, could ya? Me and Luce got married, so you had to do the same with Juvia to get even." Erza glared at Natsu before Gray had a chance to protest.

"I'll be sure to let Lucy know that you wanting to marry her was so you could get ahead of Gray in terms of relationships." The fire wizard paled, his skin becoming noticeably whiter in the dark of the night.

"P-please don't tell her that," he pleaded quietly. "She would never forgive me. And it's not even true. She would kill me." Gray guffawed, bending over to cradle his bare stomach – don't ask what happened to his shirt. He was wearing it two minutes ago. "What're you laughing at, frost bite?"

"So, I'm guessing…" Gray began, wiping a tear from his eye, "Lucy is the dominant one in your relationship?"

"I dunno what you're laughing about, stripper. I mean, from what I and the rest of the guild can see, Juvia _obviously_ wears the pants in _your_ relationship." Had enough, Erza slammed her fists into their jaws, knocking them both to the ground.

"Shut up, both of you. You're acting like children. For crying out loud, act your age! Natsu, you're married _and_ a father! Gray, you're engaged! The two of you are _adults!_" Erza continued her ranting as the boys stood back up and resumed their stride, but neither of them were listening anymore. Once the trees dispersed and the city of Magnolia came into view, Natsu bolted into the streets, wanting to be free of Erza's screaming.

* * *

After losing his comrades, Natsu speed-walked in the direction of his house, his heart beating frantically in his chest. He'd been away from his girls for too long. He needed to kiss his gorgeous wife, he needed to hold his baby girl. He _needed_ to be home. He smiled when he saw their apartment, and immediately picked up his pace, finally breaking into a run. Judging by how long it's been dark outside, it could be only eight, meaning Nashi hasn't been put to bed yet. Perfect.

Breathing heavily, he got ready to open the bedroom window to surprise her, but he stopped, his chest clenching as the air was expelled from his lungs and his heart slowed to a stop. Lucy was there, holding Nashi in her arms, swaying to the beat of the song that was playing on the stereo. Happy was sitting on the bed, his head bobbing to the rhythm and his tail tapping against the comforter. Around Lucy's neck was his scarf, and he couldn't help but note how… _natural_ it looked on her. With that in mind, his heart fluttered back to life.

Natsu sat there, resting his chin on the window sill as he watched the love of his life dance around the bedroom with his daughter in her arms. He grinned when Lucy happened to glance over at the window. She gasped and pointed in his direction, Nashi looking over her shoulder at him as well. She smiled toothlessly and reached for him, flexing her small hand like she did when she wanted something. A deep chuckle sounding from the back of his throat, the Dragon Slayer finally lifted the window and hopped inside.

"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed, stepping up to him as Happy turned off the stereo. She wrapped her free arm around his neck. "You're home!"

"I sure am," he mused, hugging her tightly around the waist. He nuzzled into the junction of her neck and shoulder, inhaling deeply. She smelled of cherries, as usual. He longed for her scent every day that he was gone. Not only did it assure him that she was there with him, but it also meant that he was home. _She_ was his home. "I missed you…" he whispered into her hair.

"I missed you, too." She pulled away slightly to place a tender kiss on his lips. When they lingered for too long, Nashi pouted and made a sound of annoyance. Her parents pulled away from each other, laughing as they did.

"I missed you, too, Nashi," said the father, taking her from Lucy's arms. The baby Dragon Slayer cooed and cuddled closer to him.

"Hey!" Happy chirped from the bed. "What about me?"

"Of course I missed you, Happy." The feline made a happy noise and flew over to his 'father,' hugging his head. Lucy giggled and unwove the scarf from her neck, draping it over her husband's – she still wasn't used to that – shoulders instead.

"Welcome home."

* * *

**Author's Note: If you guys have any ideas for some chapters, why don't you let me know? I'm all ears!**


	8. Normal Family, Sort Of

Normal Family… Sort Of

* * *

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

It was a never ending cycle, and he'd been watching it happen for the past week and a half. Natsu tapped his foot against the tiled floor of the infirmary ward, shifting nervously in his seat. It happened while she was on a mission. He'd been filled in by Erza and Gray, and from what Wendy said, she was going to make a full recovery. It was Porlyusica's idea to keep Lucy in a comatose state for a week or two, just to be sure. He understood the old woman's reasoning to do so, but… it was killing him, seeing his beloved like this.

She had bandages wrapped around her forehead, down her arms and legs, a couple of patches on her face, chest, and abdomen. Her face wasn't relaxed or scrunched in pain; it was just blank. The first two days she'd been in the infirmary, her skin had been significantly paler than normal, and it made his stomach churn. He didn't eat much the first couple of days because of it. After a while, she'd begun to regain her color, but still looked pretty white. He really wanted to stay with her all day, every day, but he had another priority: Nashi. He had to be at home with her for most of the day, playing with her, feeding her. And taking her to see her mother, of course.

Natsu made sure to bring in Nashi daily. Being the incredibly smart child that she was, she could tell that Lucy was hurt, and knew it would be better if she didn't touch her. She was pretty concerned about seeing her mother so still, though, and she would begin to cry when he said it was time to go home. Getting her to go to sleep was difficult the past few days. Thankfully Happy slept in her crib, or otherwise he would've ever been able to get her to bed.

Happy was currently sitting on the bed beside her, resting his chin on her shoulder. Natsu couldn't look anywhere but at her chest as it slowly rose and fell.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Her breathing wasn't nearly as raspy as it had been when she first got to the infirmary. She sounded like she had pneumonia. But now it was just like she was sleeping, steady and smooth. The distraught Dragon Slayer exhaled sharply and gently grabbed her hand, squeezing it in his. She wasn't as cold as she was before either, much to his relief. She seemed perfectly fine, more or less, considering the bandages. He took in a shaky breath, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. He just wanted her to wake up. He wanted to see her chocolate eyes, hear her velvety voice, hear her say his name.

Just… _something._

"Natsu…" Happy spoke softly, knowing all too well that the man he was addressing could hear him. The wizard turned to look at his Exceed, and started a little at the sight of tears in his eyes. "Why won't she wake up?" Natsu felt his heart drop into his stomach like a rock.

"Happy, we've been over this. Wendy and Porlyusica are keeping her asleep to make sure she heals properly."

"I know, but…" He trailed off, a tear trailing through his blue fur. "I… I don't like seeing Lucy like this… I want her to wake up already. I miss her weirdness." Despite himself, Natsu chuckled, reaching over to pat Happy's head.

"I know, buddy."

"Well, fortunately, she will be waking today." The voice caused both boys to jump and spin around to face the door. There stood Wendy with her hands clasped behind her back, her long blue hair tied back in a braid. Charle was perched on her shoulder, her white tail flicking behind her. Natsu stood from his chair.

"Wendy. So Lucy's waking up today?" The younger Dragon Slayer smiled and nodded.

"I just got permission from Porlyusica to allow Lucy to wake up. I haven't cast the spell on her since last night, so she should be waking up in an hour or so. I was just coming to tell you." Natsu breathed a sigh of relief, his shoulders slumping like a heavy weight had just been lifted off of them.

"Thank you, Wendy." The petite teenager nodded again and turned to leave the room.

* * *

**Forty-five minutes later**

Lucy groaned as she opened her eyes. The room was bright, so she clenched them closed. Ugh, she felt terrible. Her whole body was heavy, like lead. She briefly fisted her hands, and immediately noted how soft the fabric was. Only then did she realize that she was on a very soft bed. Where was she?

"Lucy?" The celestial wizard wriggled at the sound of her name. _Who said that?_ "Luce?" Her nickname… _He_ was the only one who called her that.

"Natsu…?" she rasped, trying to pry her eyes open, but they were just too heavy and the room was too bright. "Natsu, where are you?" She felt him grasp her left hand and squeeze.

"I'm right here, Luce." She turned her head to the sound of his voice, and used all the strength she could muster to open her eyes. But the white lights of the infirmary made it seem like she was looking into the sun.

"Natsu… it's too bright…" She felt him shift.

"Happy, turn off the lights." There was a soft click and the light behind her eyelids suddenly vanished, and the burning strain on her eyes melted away. He stroked her hand. "Is that better?" As a response, Lucy finally managed to get her eyes open, but her vision was incredibly blurry. She could faintly see her husband's silhouette leaning over her, and she blinked a few times to clear her sight. After a moment, she could finally begin to make out his features. She could see the color of his hair, the outline of his eyes, his scarf. She wiggled her hand out from underneath his and lifted it to his face, cupping his cheek. She felt him smile, and he lifted his own hand and placed it over hers, repositioning it slightly so he could plant a kiss to her palm.

"Natsu, where am I?" she asked slowly, trying to ignore the goose bumps erupting down her arm from his kiss.

"The infirmary."

"What… what happened?"

"Well, uh… You were on a mission with Erza and Gray. He said all three of you got beaten pretty bad, but you took a hard hit to the head."

"I guess that explains why it's hard to see." Natsu chuckled, pressing her hand to his face. "So we lost?" He shook his head.

"No, no, no! After you were knocked cold, Erza pretty much beat the guy to an unrecognizable pulp."

"I'll have to thank her, then," Lucy mused, a small sound coming from her throat, and Natsu assumed it was supposed to be a laugh. But it came out more like a wheezing cough, and it made him cringe. Feeling an undeniable feeling of guilt rising in his chest, he clasped her hand, squeezing it gently.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there…" he said softly. Lucy pulled her hand away and slapped him. Not hard, but hard enough to make it sting a little. Stunned, he looked down at his wife. Her eyes were fully open, and she was pointing to him, her brows furrowed slightly, something she did when she was serious.

"Don't you start that with me, Natsu," she said firmly. He opened his mouth to speak, but she slapped him again. "No. You listen to me. I am not in the infirmary because of you. This," she gestured to the bandages on her body, "is _not_ your fault. Don't blame yourself for something you didn't do." The Dragon Slayer looked down at his lap. He couldn't look her in the eye when she was mad at him. Noticing him avoiding her gaze, Lucy lowered her voice. "Look at me." When he didn't listen to her, she cupped his chin and lifted his head. "Baby, look at me." She waited to speak until he reconnected his gaze with hers. "Don't avoid my eyes," she said softly. "I'm not mad at you, Natsu. I just don't like it when you make yourself feel guilty about something you had nothing to do with."

The blonde pushed herself up into a sitting position, the blanket pooling around her waist. She reached a hand out to him and touched the side of his neck. "I _hate_ seeing you like this, Natsu. I can't stand it when you beat yourself up because of something you had no control over. Especially when it concerns me." Before he could speak, she pulled his head forward, capturing his lips in a sweet kiss. And before he could recover from the surprise and kiss her back, the door swung open, and Happy flew in, carrying a delighted Nashi in his paws. He set the giggling child on the mattress, at Lucy's feet. When her eyes spotted her mother, she fell silent, her brown eyes widening with worry.

"Ah," she uttered, crawling into Lucy's lap. "Ah."

"Hi, baby girl," the celestial wizard cooed, setting her daughter on her thigh as she crossed her legs beneath the blanket. Nashi splayed her hand on Lucy's chest, touching one of her bandages. She looked up into her mother's eyes before leaning into her breasts, trying to hug her. Lucy smiled fondly and placed a dainty hand on her back.

"She was pretty worried about you," Happy said from his spot on Natsu's shoulder.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Natsu replied, nodding his head with a small smile. "Whenever I brought her in, she would just sit next to you on the bed, staring at you. She would cry every time we went home." Lucy looked down at the child in her arms, who was looking up at her again, her big brown eyes glassy, like she was about to cry. She leaned down and kissed Nashi's head.

"I'm sorry I scared you, sweetheart." She touched Nashi's cheek, looking up at Natsu as he sat himself down on the bed beside her. He kissed Lucy's temple and stroked his daughter's vibrant pink hair, reveling at how soft it was beneath his skin. Happy switched from Natsu's shoulder to Lucy's and nuzzled into her hair, purring gently. The novelist turned to the feline and kissed his fuzzy cheek. She switched her gaze to her husband, and then to her daughter.

Who said you had to be normal to have a normal family?

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! Whoa! Two chapters in one day? This should happen more often, no?**

**Thanks to 0Tenshi-no-Tsubasa0 for the inspiration for this chapter. I hope I did okay! Please let me know what you guys thought in a review! :D**


	9. Like a Campfire

Like a Campfire

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! So… I have not had a very good day today… I mean, did anyone else read the new chapter of Fairy Tail? It had such a bad cliffhanger! And… my beloved Natsu… was crying… Uwaaa… I hate seeing Natsu cry. And today's episode had a bad ending too… Grrr…**

**Anyway, as you guys may have noticed, I changed the title from **_**To Be Lucky**_** to **_**A Family's Tale**_**. I changed it because TBL was the title of the first chapter, which was originally just a oneshot. So I figured… why not change it? I hope this chapter is okay. I know it's a little short compared to the other chapters, but I just wanted to give you guys a little teaser for some GrUvia I've got planned. ;D**

**Let me know what you think in a review, alright?**

* * *

Lucy lay in bed, waiting for her husband to come back. His sensitive ears picked up Nashi's crying in his sleep, and so he was in her room down the hall, tending to her. It was just three hours after they'd put her to bed, and an hour and a half since they went to bed themselves. Neither of them knew what could've possibly caused their beloved daughter to cry. She never cried in the middle of the night. She was a deep sleeper, something she got from her father. But she was glad that Natsu offered to go see what was wrong, because Lucy had been so comfortable on the mattress, his scarf wrapped around her neck.

Speaking of his scarf, it was incredibly soft. Sighing contently, the sleepy stellar wizard nuzzled her face deeper into the cloth and took in a deep breath through her nose. It was drenched in his scent. Natsu always smelled like smoke. Not the nasty cigarette smoke that makes you gag. No. He smelled like burning wood, like a campfire. Which she found fitting for him. Even when he'd just come out of a fight, instead of stinking of sweat, he smelled just as he did before the fight: like he'd been standing in a cloud of campfire smoke for hours. Lucy smiled. She'd always loved the smell of a campfire.

She told him that he smelled like a campfire once before, when they had first started dating. She didn't know why, but it embarrassed the hell out of him. She found it utterly adorable, though.

* * *

"_You smell like a campfire." Natsu took a step back out of surprise, slightly slack jawed and his eyes widened._

"_Wh-why would you say that?" he stuttered as a light shade of red coated his face. He lowered his head into his scarf to hide his cheeks. But the way she laughed and touched his arm made his blush darken and spread across the rest of his face, making it hard to hide._

"_Aw, did I embarrass you?" she teased, poking him in the side. He turned his head away from her, promptly stuffing his hands into his pockets._

"_You're weird." She smiled gently and lifted herself onto her toes, planting a light kiss on his temple._

* * *

That was the first time she kissed him. And just thinking about the whole thing made her giggle to herself just as Natsu walked back into the room. "Whatcha laughing at?" he asked tiredly, lifting a hand to his head and ruffling his hair.

"I was just thinking about when I told you that you smell like a campfire," she answered, moving aside to make room for him.

"Oh…" he said, lowering himself onto the bed beside her. "That…" Lucy laughed as she moved to rest her head on his shoulder while he wrapped his arm around her.

"Isn't it weird to think that we started dating almost two years ago?"

"A little bit, yeah," he answered. "It's even weirder to think about all that's happened over those two years. We have a child, we're married, Gray and Juvia are engaged…"

"Juvia told me that she's pregnant, too."

"Seriously?"

"Yup. With twins." Natsu tsked, his face twisting into a scowl.

"They really are just trying to copy us, aren't they?" he sneered. "Pathetic ice cube."

"Oh, come on, babe, don't be like that," Lucy said, giving him a like smack on his bare chest. "I think it's great. I mean, _twins_! That's incredible! Nashi's going to have two friends to play with that are her age!" Natsu rolled his eyes. "Oh! What if they had a boy?" The Dragon Slayer stiffened. He was _not_ liking where this was going. "That would be amazing! Nashi and their little boy could be best friends, grow up together, and maybe even start dating!"

"Oh, _hell no,_" Natsu interjected, vehemently shaking his head. "No. No, no, no, no, no. Not happening." Lucy laughed before continuing to mess with him.

"What if they got married?"

"_No! No way in hell!"_

"Natsu!" she hissed. "Stop yelling. You're going to wake up Nashi."

"No!" he whispered. "Absolutely not!"

"Why not? Why are you so against the idea?"

"Because that would make me and Gray… brothers…" The rosy-haired man grimaced and shuddered. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"You're such a child, Natsu," she sighed as she snuggled into him, ready for sleep. Natsu chuckled and pulled her closer, beginning to doze off as well.

"So you've said."


	10. Goose Bumps

Goose Bumps

* * *

"Do you think Nashi's going to be alright with that snow cone?"

"She'll be fine, Natsu. She likes them. And if Gray is unlucky enough to be caught in one of her notorious sneezes, Juvia will be there to douse him with water. Besides, we're only going to be gone until tomorrow morning. The only thing I'm worried about is you throwing up on the train." Oh, Natsu was worried about that too. He was looking forward to spending time with his wife alone – which is something they hadn't been able to do recently. Either he or Lucy was out of a mission, leaving the other home alone with their child. And when both of them were home, they were never truly alone. Nashi and Happy were just down the hall.

And they both realized that they haven't been on very many dates since Lucy's pregnancy. So they decided to leave Nashi and Happy at Gray and Juvia's place while they took the day off. It was Natsu's idea to take a train to Hargeon – the place where it all began – and Lucy put up no argument. She was actually impressed that he _wanted _to take a train to go to a different town, rather than just go somewhere in Magnolia. Although she wouldn't care either way.

Thank goodness the ride to Hargeon was only an hour and a half. It seemed Natsu's motion sickness gets progressively worse as he gets older. At least he wasn't on a mission with just Erza and Gray. Now, he had Lucy, the only one who can make him feel better in situations like this. With his head in her lap, he stared at her face through half-lidded eyes as she looked out the window, watching the scenery go by, her hand gently weaving through his hair. As her fingers stroked his scalp, he could feel his motion sickness gradually ebbing away. He could've fallen asleep right there if he wanted to, which he did. But they'd only been on the train for a couple of minutes, much to his discomfort.

He must've made a displeased noise, because Lucy switched her gaze from the window to him. She smiled and combed his bangs with her nails. "Get some sleep, Natsu," she said softly, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "Okay?" The fire wizard nodded slowly and leaned into her stomach, letting his eyes fall closed. He fell asleep within seconds. Lucy laughed lightly and shook her head. She really was in love with a toddler.

* * *

**That evening, in Hargeon**

Hand in hand, the two wizards walked along the beach, their bare feet sinking into the flawless sand with each step. The sun was setting, and the sky was stained orange, pink, and purple. Natsu watched as the sun slowly sank beneath the sea, while Lucy stared at the sand as they walked, enjoying the vanilla ice cream cone in her hand. Natsu glanced at her through the corners of his eyes, quickly ducking his head to steal a mouthful of her ice cream. He wasn't one for sweets – he preferred his treats spicy, usually sticking to Hot Tamales and cinnamon flavored gum – but he couldn't resist. That look of feigned anger she sent his way was something he found utterly cute, and made him a little weak in the knees.

"Natsu!" she cried, untangling her fingers from his to smack his arm. Her hand was instantly cold from the lack of warmth, but she kept it away from his. She inspected her ice cream cone and dejectedly slumped her shoulders. "You ate nearly all of it…" she said sadly. Natsu laughed and licked his lips. His own hand felt a little too cold for his comfort, so he reached over to try and lace his fingers together with hers, but when they touched, she stuffed her hand into her pocket, making him frown.

"Luce…" he whined, trying again. She stepped away from him, sending a fake glare in his direction. He pouted and grabbed her elbow, pulling her back to him. "Don't be like that." Lucy huffed and turned away from him, tossing the remains of her ice cream into a nearby trashcan. "Lucy… I'm sorry." The celestial wizard turned her head away from him. The Dragon Slayer glimpsed down at her exposed neck and smirked. She was going to ignore him, eh? He lowered his head, positioning his mouth a mere inch away from her neck and blew a puff of hot air onto her skin. She jumped, a surprised _eep_ sounding from her throat. She looked up at Natsu with wide eyes. She squealed when he grabbed her waist and pulled her to him, nuzzling into the nape of her neck and nipping gently at her flesh.

"_Natsu!_" she screeched, trying to pull his arms away from her waist, but to no avail. They were locked in place, preventing her from breaking free. "Natsu, stop! You're giving me goose bumps!" After a tiny wrestling match, she finally managed to turn around in his arms, placing her hands on his chest and pushing him away. "You're a jerk…" she breathed between giggles. Natsu laughed as well, keeping his arms around her waist and leaning his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry I ate your ice cream cone," he apologized softly, his fangs flashing as he smiled. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Who cares about the ice cream cone, you dolt." They laughed for a moment before Lucy pulled away slightly, glancing at her arms, which were still covered in goose bumps. She sighed and vigorously rubbed one to smoothen out her skin. When it didn't work, she sighed again and glimpsed up at her husband. "Do you see what you do to me?" His chest vibrated as he chuckled.

"You like it." Oh, she did. She knew she did. Only Natsu could give her permanent goose bumps, and she _loved_ that about him. Lucy laughed lightly and looked back up at him, and was caught off guard at the look he was giving her. It was that rare, far-off look. The same look he had when he first held Nashi, the look he gave her on their wedding day. She was glad that the sky was now dark, because she could feel the temperature in her face gradually rising.

"W-what're you looking at me like that for?" she sputtered, shyly averting her eyes. A small half-grin formed on his mouth as he shook his head.

"I don't get it," he said bluntly. Confused at the vagueness of that statement, the blonde slowly lifted her head.

"What?"

"I just… I just don't understand how… someone as perfect as you could fall for someone like me," he said slowly, his eyes never wandering from hers. The longer she continued to gaze into those obsidian orbs, the weaker her knees felt. He had this very intense, _smoldering_ stare that always made her legs feel like they no longer existed.

"Really?" she asked quietly. "It's pretty obvious to me. I mean, it's _you_. Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tail's Salamander, the man who would do anything to protect his nakama. It doesn't matter to you what the odds are; there's no such thing as 'losing' to you. You may be a headstrong, stubborn idiot that rushes into the lion's den without any plan of attack or knowledge of your opponent, but you're the nicest man I've ever known. I mean, I was a complete stranger to you when you brought me to Fairy Tail. You gave me a home, a family that loved me for _me_, something I didn't have before then. You introduced me to the greatest friends I could ever ask for." She paused, lifting a hand to his cheek. "You gave me all that I ever wanted, Natsu. You made my dreams come true.

"You're always there for me," Lucy continued, stepping closer to him. "You're always there to protect me. I would yell at you and hit you every time you snuck into my house, but you didn't care. You were loyal to me, to our friendship. You always know what to say to make me feel better. You know exactly how to make me laugh. You're the sweetest man I know, and you don't even try. You're my best friend, the greatest friend I've ever had. A better thing to be confused about would be if I _didn't_ fall for someone like you."

With incredible speed, Natsu crushed his lips to hers, catching her off guard. She recovered quickly, though, wrapping her arms around his neck.

* * *

Natsu and Lucy stumbled rather ungracefully into the hotel room they booked for the night, their lips frantically messaging each other, barely letting in an efficient amount of air. Lucy's arms were tangled around his neck, her fingers grasping desperately at his hair, while his hands were perched on her hips, slipping passed the hem of her blouse. The door slammed shut behind them as they staggered further into the room, bumping furniture and knocking lamps onto the floor, causing them to break and send the room into darkness, the only light being from the moon shining through the crevasses in the curtains.

The back of Lucy's knees collided with the bed, knocking her off balance, bringing Natsu down with her. The Dragon Slayer slid an arm around her back and lifted her up, positioning her further up on the mattress as his mouth latched onto her neck. The words "I love you" fanned across her collarbone as a puff of breath, his hand running beneath her shirt and lifting it over her head, the action causing the same delicious goose bumps to erupt down her arms.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! No lemons for you! I don't do that kind of thing. :D I personally hate Hot Tamales and cinnamon flavored gum. Now, don't get me wrong, I _love_ spicy food. But when I eat candy, I expect it to be sweet, y'know? I really hate when I'm eating a bag of Jelly Bellies and I automatically assume the red one I picked out was a cherry one... But it turns out to be cinnamon... There's no getting that taste out of your mouth. Once it's there, it _stays_ there... Bleh.**

**So… someone told me that they preferred the old title, and I have to admit… I wasn't really feeling the new title either. So I changed it back. And someone else told me that it'd be cute if Gray and Juvia had a daughter and named her Ur. I really have to agree with that, but I already have plans for their names. Since they're gonna have twins, maybe I'll consider giving them a third child, and name her Ur. But I don't know. We'll just have to see, now won't we?**

**Reviews are awesome and inspire me to keep going. So if you like the story and want it to continue, leave a review! You will be rewarded with… uh… with a new chapter, of course! xD**


	11. Teething

Teething

* * *

"So what're you thinking about naming them?" Wendy asked Juvia. The two girls – along with Lucy, Nashi, Levy, and Erza– were sitting at a table in the guild, talking about nothing in particular. Just about whatever came to mind. And the current topic of conversation was Juvia's pregnancy.

"Um…" Juvia hummed, drumming her fingers on her tummy. "Juvia doesn't know for sure. But she likes Amaya for a girl, and Raiden for a boy."

"I think Amaya is a great name, Juvia," said Lucy, smiling as Nashi gummed her finger. Juvia beamed.

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, Amaya is translated as 'night rain,' right? That's the _perfect_ name for your daughter."

"I agree completely," Levy chirped. "And Raiden means 'thunder and lightning.' Both are really good names."

"What about Gray?" asked Erza, taking a bite of her strawberry cake.

"He likes Hitomi for a girl, and Avalon for a boy."

"'Beautiful eyes' and 'the island of apples,' huh?" the sky Dragon Slayer mused. "Interesting."

"Amaya and Hitomi, or Raiden and Avalon…" said the solid script wizard slowly. Her lips curled into a blinding grin and she giggles excitedly. "I don't know which one sounds better! Oh! What will the plan be if one of the twins is a girl and the other is a boy?"

"We decided it would be Amaya and Avalon if that were to happen."

"Just the other day, I was talking to Natsu about the possibility of you having a boy," Lucy said. "I told him that your son and Nashi could wind up dating and maybe even getting married." Juvia gasped.

"That would be wonderful, would it not?" she exclaimed. "Juvia approves!" The girls at the table all laughed.

"What did Natsu have to say about that?" Wendy inquired.

"He didn't like the idea, only because it would make him and Gray brothers."

"Wow."

"I know."

"What about you, Lu-chan?" Levy piped, turning to her blonde friend with a small glint in her eyes. Lucy looked up from Nashi, brows furrowed in confusion.

"What about me?"

"Are you and Natsu thinking about having another kid?"

"Um… not at the moment, no," Lucy replied, saying it like it was obvious. "Why would we be thinking about having another kid when Nashi is only eight months old? She doesn't even have teeth yet." As if on cue, something sharp pricked the pad of the wizard's finger as it rest in Nashi's mouth. With a surprised yelp, she withdrew her hand and saw a tiny trickle of blood trail down her finger. Lifting a brow, she used a finger that wasn't bloodied and lifted her daughter's lip. Sure enough, there was a tiny white tooth poking out of her top gums. "Well, speak of the devil…" she said slowly, placing her finger into her own mouth to clean off the blood.

"What?" said Wendy. "What happened?"

"Nashi's baby fangs are coming in," Lucy responded, her voice distorted slightly with the obstruction in her mouth.

"So she's going to start teething, right?" asked Erza, setting her fork down and focusing all of her attention on her blonde companion. Lucy shrugged.

"I guess so."

"I heard that teething is relatively painful, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but it's easy to soothe." Lucy shifted Nashi to rest in the crook of her right arm, letting the left to rest. "You can rub their gums, give them ice water, or let them chew on a rubber teething ring." She looked down at her blissful, giggling child and offered her a silly grin, causing her giggles to go up an octave. "It's weird though, she hasn't shown any signs of irritation. Juvia, was she acting a little cranky when you and Gray watched her last week?" Juvia shook her head, her blue hair swaying across her shoulders.

"No. She was just the sweetest, happiest child. She didn't seem irritable at all." Lucy hummed, watching as Nashi inspected her hands with awe before shoving a fist into her mouth. It really is strange that she hasn't been cranky. The book said that a child can be irritable when he or she is teething, but she's been the same happy little girl that she's always been.

* * *

Natsu and Lucy both started awake at 3:28 AM, the sound of a baby's cries echoing throughout the apartment. The Dragon Slayer groaned and positioned his head under his pillow to try and muffle the sounds of his daughter's screaming, but it didn't do much, thanks to his heightened sense of hearing. Lucy groaned as well and tossed the comforter aside as she slid off the bed, striding toward Nashi's room. "Hey, baby," she cooed, and Natsu could hear her approaching footsteps as the child's cries escalated in volume. Growling in tired frustration, he fisted his hand in the pillow and threw it onto the floor, officially giving up in trying to go back to sleep. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, his usually strong muscles straining against the simple action. His body seemed a lot heavier when he was tired, like he was suddenly made of lead.

"Why is she crying?" he asked groggily, rubbing his slightly bloodshot eyes.

"I think it's because she's teething," she answered over Nashi's crying, sticking a finger inside the baby's mouth to message her gums. Her crying dwindled down a little, but still remained high in pitch. Poor Happy was retreating farther and farther into Lucy's drawer, his paws pressing down his ears to try and block out the sound. Natsu frowned at him, a pang of sympathy bursting in his chest. The sound must be murder on his poor cat ears. He looked back up at his wife when she made a noise of frustration. "Natsu, could you hold her for a second?" she asked, moving toward him. "Message her gums while I go fill her bottle with ice water."

Natsu cocked his head to the side as he took Nashi into his arms. "Message her gums?" he repeated, confused.

"Yeah. Put your finger in her mouth and gently run it across her gums." With that explained, she trotted into the kitchen. Natsu cringed as Nashi let out something close to a scream, and he quickly lifted a hand and did as told.

"Make it stop…" Happy whined pitifully, and the fire wizard shot him an apologetic glance.

"Shh, Nashi…" the father murmured, lightly bouncing her in his arms to try and soothe her, his finger stroking her gums and taking care to avoid her sharp first tooth. "I know it hurts, baby, I know. Shh…" Lucy came back into the room and sat down on the mattress beside her husband.

"Drink this, Nashi," she said softly, positioning the bottle above her mouth with one hand, using the other to caress her defined hair. "It'll make you feel better. I promise, sweetheart." The child hesitantly reached for the bottle and pulled it into her mouth, drinking the ice cold water. After several gulps, she pushed it away, and her parents remained quiet to see whether or not it worked. She sniffled and gurgled and leaned into her father's chest, gripping his shirt in her tiny hand. Pretty soon, she fell asleep, causing the two wizards and the cat to sigh in relief. "Thank Mavis…" Lucy muttered, standing and setting the bottle down on the nightstand. She reached down for her daughter. "I'll put her back to bed."

Natsu nodded and placed a kiss on her forehead before lifting her up to meet Lucy's grasp. She turned around and walked back to her room. With the house finally silent once more, the Dragon Slayer reached down and grabbed his pillow, plopping it down behind him and collapsing into it with a groan. He really hoped she wouldn't suddenly wake up like that every night…

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! Thanks to Captain Ea Rayos for the idea for this chapter! And thank you to everyone else who reviewed! I love you guys so much! Let me know what you guys thought in a review!**


	12. Auntie Erza

Auntie Erza

* * *

"So this pretty much explains everything you'll need to know," Lucy said as she handed the redhead a sheet of paper. She and Natsu were dropping off their daughter in the trustworthy hands of Erza Scarlet. Erza took the sheet of paper into her free, one arm holding Nashi, using the other to hold Nashi's blanket, pacifier, bottle, etc. The child burrowed her head sleepily into the woman's neck, her dark brown eyes heavy with exhaustion. "And again, thank you _so_ much for doing this for us, Erza."

"Sorry it's on such short notice," said Natsu, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "It's just… I'm not comfortable with Nashi being along with Gray for two days." Erza shook her head, her dark red hair swaying across her shoulders and catching a sleepy child's interest.

"It's no big deal, really," she dismissed. "Now go on, you'll miss your train." Lucy leaned in a placed a gentle kiss on Nashi's head, and Natsu touched her hand.

"See you in two days, baby girl." Nashi made a soft gurgling noise in acknowledgment, but was too tired to make much of an effort. Happy waved as he and the couple began walking down the hall.

"Bye-bye, Erza!" he chirped.

"Goodbye." With them disappeared around the corner, Erza stepped into her apartment and closed the door behind her with her foot. She carefully lowered Nashi's belongings onto her coffee table, sitting down on the couch to read through the paper Lucy gave her. Although she seemed pretty nonchalant about doing this, Titania's heart was beating frantically in her chest. She couldn't remember being so nervous in her life.

* * *

"_Y-you want me to…_ what?" _Erza stuttered, her eyes wide with shock._

"_Babysit Nashi for us," Lucy repeated, taking a drink of her lemonade. "Please, Erza? For some reason, Natsu doesn't trust Gray with watching over her. And you're one of our closest friends. We can trust you to keep an eye on her. I thought you liked Nashi."_

"_I-I-I do! It's just… why didn't you ask Levy?"_

"_I did, but she said the she, Jet, and Droy are going on a mission and won't be back for at least a week. Come on, Erza, please? Just for two days? Nashi likes you, the two of you are friends. What's the problem?"_

"_It's just… I don't think I'm the person that should look after a child…" the swordswoman said slowly, nervously tapping her index fingers together._

"_Erza," Lucy deadpanned. "You're one of Fairy Tail's strongest wizards. You're Titania! I think you can handle taking care of a child for two days. She won't give you any trouble. Ask Juvia! She said that Nashi was the just the sweetest. Besides, it's not like you have to stay in your apartment at Fairy Hills the whole time we're gone. You can take her to the guild, shopping, the beach. I'm pretty sure she'll have a blast, even if you do decide to just stay home for two days. Onegai, Erza?" The swordswoman turned away from Lucy's pleading gaze, looking down at her slice of cake. She wasn't good with these sorts of things, and wasn't really comfortable with watching a child for two days by herself._

_But… Lucy is a friend, and so is Natsu. And Lucy is right. She is Erza "Titania" Scarlet. She supposed watching over her friends' child was the least she could do. After all, what's wrong with taking care of your family? "A-alright…" she said softly, taking a bite of her cake. Lucy beamed._

"_Really? You'll do it?" The redhead nodded. "Oh, thank you, Erza! Seriously, you have no idea how much that means to me. And Natsu, of course." On the last part, she gestured across the room to her husband. He sat at a table with the boys, bouncing his knee up and down while Nashi sat on it. His hands were on her small torso, keeping her from falling off as he conversed with his nakama._

"_It's not a big deal," Erza dismissed, sending her blonde friend a grin. "I mean, it's the least I could do for the two of you. When are you planning on leaving? So I can go home and… clean up a little."_

"_We're taking a train tomorrow night," Lucy answered, turning back to the older woman. "The town isn't very far away, but we want to get there by early in the morning, so we'll drop Nashi off at your place at around… nine? Will that be alright?"_

"_Nine will be just fine."_

"_Okay. That's when she goes to bed, so she shouldn't be much of a bother by the time we get there. I'll make a list of everything you need to know tonight." The two girls laughed for a moment, Erza taking another bite of her delicious cake. She really cared about Lucy and Natsu – they were two of her closest friends, for crying out loud – but she really didn't know what she'd just gotten herself into._

* * *

Now, don't get her wrong. She knew that Nashi wasn't disruptive like her father. She was surprisingly mellow. But… she didn't know how to deal with a child. She supposed that's what Lucy's paper was for, but it was still a little nerve-wracking. The S-Class wizard was completely inexperienced in this sort of field. What if something were to happen to Nashi because of her uncertainty? She didn't know if she would be able to handle being responsible for something like that.

Erza slapped herself. _What am I doing? Thinking such foolish things… Thinking about the worst-case scenario isn't like me. I need to focus._ With her resolve in place, she looked down at the child in her arms, who was looking up at her with an odd expression. It was as if she was wondering why Erza would hit herself. She smiled as the baby yawned widely, showing off her growing teeth in the process. There's one of the first resemblances of her father that she's seen. Natsu always opened his mouth incredibly wide when he yawned.

Making a really cute noise that Erza couldn't describe, Nashi nuzzled into Erza's shoulder, her eyes falling closed. The redhead released a breathy laugh. "Are you tired, Nashi?" she asked softly. In response, the girl peeled her eyes open a little to look at her. "Yes?" She stood up and grabbed Nashi's blanket, heading for her bedroom. "Let's get you to sleep, then."

She remembered what the paper said about getting her to go to sleep. _Wrap her in her blanket and rock her in her arms. Once she's asleep, you can set her down_. So all she had to do was just rock her in her arms until she fell asleep. Easy enough. _She may wake up crying in the middle of the night because she's teething. If this happens, stick a finger in her mouth and run it along her gums and give her some ice water. This usually works, and she'll normally falls asleep right afterwards._ Rub her gums and give her ice water. Piece of cake.

She curled her legs under herself as she sat down on her bed, wrapping Nashi in her blanket in the process. Resting the child's head in the crook of her elbow, the requip wizard began to gently rock her from side to side. She was a little surprised at how _small_ the child was. Sure she was only nine months old, but _still_. Nashi was tiny, like a doll instead of a human being. But no doll could compare to her beauty. She had Lucy's looks. Which was a good thing, because Mavis help the child that grew up to look like her nonsensical buffoon of a father, Natsu. Erza smirked at the thought, a light chuckle escaping her lips.

Nashi did, however, have Natsu's hair. Sort of. Natsu's hair was more of a dull salmon color, while hers was a vibrant fuchsia, like a sakura tree. Erza smiled. Lucy and Natsu really had a great addition to their family. And the longer she continued to gaze at the baby in her arms, the more she couldn't wait to start a family of her own.

An image of a certain wizard with ultramarine hair and a maroon tattoo down his right eye flashed in her mind. Erza's face immediately flushed to a shade of crimson that rivaled her hair and she shook her head to get rid of the vision. Now was not the time to be thinking of him. She had to focus on Nashi.

But the picture of Jellal Fernandez _wouldn't_ leave her mind.

* * *

**The next morning…**

Erza sighed wearily as she looked in the mirror. Her hair appeared to be a shade darker when it was wet, and the ends seemed to be slightly singed. She'd forgotten about Nashi's precarious sneezes. Thankfully it hadn't caught anything on fire, and it just barely skimmed across her hair. It was hardly noticeable, and she would be able to just cut the tips off with one of her swords if it really bugged her that much. Which it did. She wasn't one to go crazy over something like a split-end or a broken nail, but seeing how one side of her hair was slightly shorter than the other really ticked a nerve.

But she didn't have the time right now. She had to go back into the kitchen to feed a particularly giddy Nashi, and made sure she didn't burn anything down in her apartment. When she walked back into the kitchen, she was pleased to see the little girl exactly where she left her on the couch, sucking on her pacifier and rocking back and forth on her rear. When she saw Erza, the binky fell out of her mouth as she smiled and reached her arms out to her, flexing her hands as if to beckon her. Erza laughed lightly and approached her, pulling her up into her arms.

Much to the woman's confusion, the baby began to cry a minute or two after being fed. She bounced up and down to try and calm her down, but it didn't work. If anything, Nashi cried harder. Wincing and feeling slightly panicked, Erza quickly looked over Lucy's paper, skimming for something that could help her out. She briefly picked up the word _burp_ and her eyes widened as a light bulb blinked above her head. She lifted Nashi to her shoulder and gently pat her back. Erza was thoroughly disgusted when the child burped up on her bare shoulder – she was wearing a tank-top – and pulled her away. Her chocolate brown eyes gleamed happily and she clapped her hands, a silly giggle sounding from her throat. The swordswoman sighed.

**Four hours later…**

After having a tiny wrestling match to get Nashi into her clothes, the S-Class wizard finally managed to get them both to the guild. The girl was currently perched in Bisca's lap as they sat at the bar. As Mirajane approached the redhead with a drink in her hand, her eyebrows furrowed. "Erza, is your hair singed?" she asked, angling her head to get a better look. Erza leaned her forehead against the cool wood of the bar table, sighing for the zillionth time that day.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! Thank you, amyskywalker for this **_**brilliant**_** idea! I don't know why **_**I**_** didn't think of this before! And answering your question about the other pairings, I already have plans for some JeRza and GaLe, but it might be a while. Because, Gajeel is almost as dense at Natsu is, if not more. And who knows what Jellal is up to. But don't worry! There will be some JeRza and GaLe, maybe some RoWen too. But I dunno. We'll just have to see.**

**And congratulations to QueenP19 for being the 100****th**** person to review! Just twelve chapters, and I'm already passed 100 reviews! Thank you guys so much! You have no idea how much I love you guys!**

**Anyway, I hope all of you enjoy this chapter just as much as I do. Definitely one of my favorite ones so far. Let me know what you guys think in a review! Happy Easter. And did everyone see the latest chapter? So much NaLu, I think my inner fangirl is going to explode!**


	13. Playful

Playful

* * *

It was a laugh. A small laugh. It was very quick, and if it hadn't been so obvious, Lucy probably would have missed it. It was a normal conversation, right after they had put Nashi to bed. To prove her point, the celestial wizard lightly poked Natsu's stomach, right above his waist band. And he jumped, a light chuckle escaping his lips without his consent.

At the moment, the two wizards were having a stare-down, Lucy debating whether or not she'd really heard it, and Natsu praying to Mavis that she didn't. Neither one of them said anything, and neither of them moved. Lucy quickly reached over to poked him again in the same spot, and that same laugh-borderline-giggle sounded from his throat. A sly smile curled onto the woman's lips. "Why, Natsu?" she said coyly. "Are you, by any chance, _ticklish?_"

"What? No," the Dragon Slayer answered a little too quickly, a light blush coating his cheeks. "Don't be stupid, Luce. Of course I'm not—_ah!_ Stop that!" The blonde had begun to push him down onto the mattress on his back with one hand, her other repeatedly poking his stomach. Looming over the flushed man, she grinned cheekily.

"My, my, Natsu. After all this time that we've known each other, you've _never_ said anything about you being ticklish." Natsu cleared his throat and avoided her eyes, staring at the wall, clearly embarrassed to all hell.

"Well…" He trailed off to clear his throat. "I-it's never been something worth mentioning." Lucy giggled and slowly ran her finger across his stomach, tracing the path of his pants. His abs contracted in attempt to hold in the chuckle. Suddenly, he wrapped his hand around her wrist, looking up at her with dead-serious eyes.

"You _really_ want to play this game with me, Luce?" he said lowly. "You know I'll win." His free hand slowly lifted to touch her waist, his fingers slipping beneath her shirt and squeezing. She jolted, a soft "_eep!_" coming from her lips. Smirking, he bucked his hips to flip them over, pinning his wife to the mattress. She made a noise of surprise as he straddled her hips, and she instantly burst into uncontrollable laughter as his hands skillfully tickled her waist.

"N-Na-_tsu!"_ she screeched. "_Stop it!"_ Natsu somehow managed to push her hands away with his elbows while his hands were still firm against her waist, moving relentlessly. Lucy thrashed as she giggled, trying to lift him off of her, but to no avail. "Natsu! Th-this isn't f-fair!" He abruptly stopped and looked at her, her eyes swimming in tears of mirth, still caught up in giggles. Grinning mischievously, he leaned down, blowing hot air onto her exposed neck in a huff, and causing goose bumps to run down her arms.

"You should know by now," he whispered into her ear, "that I _don't_ play fair." With that said, he gathered both of her wrists into one of his hands and pinned them above her head, using his other one to resume his assault on her waist. Her laughing/screaming went up an octave as she writhed helplessly beneath him, trying desperately to free her hands from his grasp. She kicked her legs, using all of the strength that she could muster at the moment to hopefully throw him off of her. But he didn't even budge. It anything, he added more of his weight to rest on her hips, proving his dominance in the current situation.

"_Natsu! Please!_" she yelled, trying to pull her hands away. But all it did was make him press down harder, her wrists sinking into the mattress. She tossed her head from side to side. "Natsu," she gasped. "Please, Natsu. I can't… I can't breathe…" He paid her no heed, only leaned back down to latch his mouth onto the junction of her neck and shoulder, blowing hot air onto her skin. She let out a small scream. "_Natsu!"_ He only stopped when they both heard the sound of their child crying. Natsu loosened his grip on her wrists, allowing her hands to slip through and push him off of her. "See what you did?" she scolded half-heartedly, breathless as she slid off the bed. "You woke her up."

"Me?" Natsu said, incredulous. "If I remember correctly, _I_ wasn't the one that was screaming at the top of my lungs." Lucy sent him a fake glare over her shoulder.

"That's only because you were tickling me," she spat back.

Natsu snorted. "You started it."

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! I thought I'd just write a short, silly chapter with no specific point. I've always loved the idea of Natsu being ticklish. It just seems so… **_**not**_** Natsu, but it a good way, y'know? Anyway, I hope I did good! Please let me know in a review!**


	14. Yours Forevermore

Yours Forevermore

* * *

Lucy sighed as she pulled her tank top over her head, dropping it onto the cold bathroom tiles. She, Gray, and Erza had just gotten back from a rather vigorous mission, and she as more than ready for a nice hot shower. She flicked her hair over her left shoulder, and something caught her eye when she glanced into the mirror. She moved closer and angled her head to get a better look at the dark red mark on the junction of her neck and shoulder. A wistful smile stretched onto her lips as she stared at it, and she went over it with her fingertips, a gentle pink hue dusting across her cheeks.

It was Natsu's mark.

He'd given it to her when they made love on their wedding night. He bit down hard on her as he climaxed, his fangs sinking into her flesh and creating a distinctive scar consisting of two red spots. It hurt like hell, and it bled profusely, but she didn't care. It was a loving gesture, claiming her as his mate for eternity. She would forever belong to him, and he would always belong to her. They would continue to be together until the end of time, as cheesy as it may sound.

Lucy felt a pang of affection in her chest as she remembered that night, her hand tenderly caressing the scar. It was definitely the greatest night of her life, for two reasons. One, she got married to the man she loved with all her heart. And two, the man she loved with all her heart officially claimed her as his own. And her love for him grew more and more every day, even more so when she came out of the bathroom after her shower, greeted by the sight of Natsu himself with their daughter. He was sitting on their bed with his back against the headboard, and Nashi was sitting in his lap. The Dragon Slayer was holding onto her tiny hands as he made ridiculous faces back to back, the girl's giggles rising an octave every time he pulled a new one.

The celestial wizard smiled and leaned against the doorframe, watching the two most important people in her life interact, laughing with each other. Her heart melted as Natsu leaned down and kissed both of Nashi's hands. The blonde giggled lightly, finally catching his attention. He grinned and straightened his back. "Lucy, c'mere, you have to see this," he said excitedly, waving her over. "This is just plain awesome." Lucy sat down on the bed beside him as he puckered his lips and lowered his head down closer to Nashi. The small child splayed her delicate hands on his cheeks and pulled him into the cutest little kiss Lucy had ever seen. He grinned when he pulled away, and the girl clapped her hands, looking up at her mother for approval.

"Oh, my goodness," she laughed, running a hand over her daughter's silky hair. "That was the most adorable thing I've ever seen."

Natsu's chest puffed out with pride. "I taught her that while you were gone," he boasted, showing off his fangs in an arrogant grin. She rolled her eyes and smacked him lightly against his arm, smiling all the while.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! I know, extremely short. But I've been working on another oneshot lately, and it's been taking up most of my time. But I had this idea, and I figured I should give you guys **_**something**_** considering how long I've been making you guys wait. Hope it was cute enough for you. Let me know in a review, and be on the lookout for my upcoming oneshot, **_**Feelings of the Heart!**_** I love you guys.**


	15. Curiosity

Curiosity

* * *

Lucy shifted nervously. She could feel his eyes boring into her, and it was making her increasingly uncomfortable. He always did this. Every time. She _still_ didn't understand why. She slowly turned her head to look at him. Sure enough, he was lying on his side on their bed, watching her from across the room as she sat at her desk. He was silent, didn't even look up to meet her eyes. The only thing he did was raise an eyebrow. The blonde blushed and turned away. She doesn't remember seeing that look in his eyes before their daughter was born. Ever.

Seconds of silence turned into minutes. And after seven minutes of enduring his peculiar stare, she turned to him, facing him fully. "Why're you looking at me like that, Natsu?" she snapped irritably. "You're giving me the creeps." Despite the tone in her voice – the one that usually got him to focus all of his attention on her, in fear of getting slapped – his eyes remained glued to her chest. Those intense, dark eyes narrowed a fraction. Feeling the blush on her face intensify, she turned her back to him. "Stop it, Natsu."

"It's just… _weird_," he finally said, blinking his eyes for what seemed to be the first time in half an hour.

"_What's_ weird?"

"Just… _that."_ She hadn't noticed that he'd gotten up from the bed and approached her, turning her around in her chair to face him. He pointed down to her chest.

"It's been nearly a year, Natsu. I find it strange that you're still not used to it."

"Doesn't it… hurt?"

"No, not anymore." The Dragon Slayer continued to stare as Nashi suckled on her mother, utterly creeped out. Lucy rolled her eyes and shifted her daughter's weight. "What about this is so bizarre to you?" she asked. "Breastfeeding is completely normal, and she's almost a year old now. You've seen me do this countless times."

"It's just…" He trailed off as he lowered himself to his knees to get a better look, his eyebrows furrowed. "She's drinking _milk_ out of your _boobs_."

"I'm beginning to think that _you're_ the child in this family," Lucy sighed, pulling her shirt down as Nashi finished. She stood up and walked toward her daughter's bedroom, trying to ignore the feeling of her husband's eyes on her back. Once she came back from putting her to sleep for her afternoon nap, Natsu leaned against her desk and folded his arms, his face scrunched up as he thought. She noticed his expression and sighed. "What?"

"Does it taste good?" he asked bluntly. Lucy's face flushed to a gentle pink.

"I _don't know_, you idiot!" she spat. "What kind of a question is that?"

"Well, Nashi seems to like it, so I just wondered…"

"Would _you_ like to try it?" she asked, gesturing to her breasts. It was Natsu's turn to blush, and he slowly shook his head.

"Uh… no, I'm good."

"But you're so curious," she pointed out, stepping closer to him and lifting up her shirt. "Don't you want to find out?"

"N-no, really. It's f-fine," he stuttered, lifting his scarf to hide his flaming face. He tried to keep his gaze connected with hers rather than her chest, but found it increasingly difficult as she continued to approach him.

"Come on, Natsu. Just try it. You're the one who brought this up."

"I'm sorry I did."

"What's the deal?" Lucy asked, trying not to laugh as she continued to tease him. "You've sucked on my breasts before. Why's this time so different?" Natsu shrank back, an embarrassed groan crawling up his throat as he felt his face get hotter.

"Lucy, please stop," he said, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. "This is weird."

"There's no need to be shy, Natsu," she said seductively, moving close enough to where her bare chest was nearly brushing against his. "It's alright if you want to try it." The Dragon Slayer leaned back over the desk behind him, silently wishing it wasn't there. He hated being in a situation like this, especially when it was Lucy that had him cornered. He vehemently shook his head.

"I-I-I know this might sound weird, b-but I'd rather n-not drink f-f-from your boobs," he stammered, his face well beyond burning. The heat was more like sweltering, and it was very uncomfortable. Lucy lifted an eyebrow and stepped closer, one of her knees resting between his legs, and he could feel a bead of sweat roll down the back of his neck.

"Are you sure?"

"P-positive." Unable to hold it back any longer, the celestial wizard laughed and put her shirt back down, much to his relief. She made her way toward the kitchen, teasingly pinching his burning cheek as she passed by.

"You're so cute and innocent, Natsu." Her only response was a bashful rumble of his throat.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! I have **_**no**_** idea where this came from. But I love it. Again, it's rather short, but I've been busy lately. I hope it was funny. Let me know in a review! And then check out my latest story _Feelings of the Heart_, if you haven't already!**


	16. Relieving the Pain

Relieving the Pain

* * *

Lucy softly closed the door to Nashi's bedroom. She trudged back to her and Natsu's room, exhausted. It had been a long day. It has been exactly one year since Nashi was born, also known as her birthday. She was now one year old. The party was, of course, held at the guild, and only at Fairy Tail would you find alcohol at a birthday party for a small child. Lucy was pleased to note that Nashi had a wonderful time. The party was incredible, and absolutely perfect.

Well… _almost_ perfect.

Natsu took a job a week ago, and he still isn't home. Lucy, of course, understood him not being able to come home soon enough for his daughter's birthday. But Nashi, after the excitement of her party, seemed crestfallen. After she and her mother walked through the door of their apartment, she ran – or what you could consider running for such a young child – into her parents' bedroom, hopeful that her father would be there. But he wasn't. The look on her face when she turned around to face Lucy, was the saddest thing the celestial wizard had seen in a long time.

And she was completely prepared to give her husband a piece of her mind once he came home, scold him for making her daughter wear such a disappointed expression.

Much to her surprise, when she walked into their room, he was at the window with his back to her as he carefully closed it. Momentarily forgetting she was angry with him, she smiled and ran up behind him. "Natsu!" she shouted, wrapping her arms around his chest from behind. She leapt backward when he yelped in pain. "Natsu?"

"Hey, Luce," he said without turning to face her, his voice trying to sound normal. But she could sense the strain and discomfort in his tone.

"What's wrong?" she asked cautiously. He shrugged, and she could seem him cringe as his shoulders relaxed.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me, Natsu." She placed a hand on his back. "What's wro—" She wandered off when he flinched under her touch. Not only that, he felt… different. She slowly and tenderly ran her hand down his back. He was extremely tense, the muscles around his shoulder blades tighter than normal. "What happened?" There was a pause between them before he sighed in defeat.

"I, uh… I took a bit of a fall," he explained softly. Lucy furrowed her eyebrows and stepped forward to try and get a look at his face, but he turned his head away.

"Look at me," she commanded gently. He silently refused, turning his head even further away. She hardened her voice. "Natsu. Look at me." The Dragon Slayer sighed and slowly turned his head, his gaze connecting with hers. She took a step back, a hand reaching up to her mouth as she gasped. He had a nasty bruise around his right eye, and a gash ran from above his left eyebrow and down his temple, just below his cheekbone. His hair was dirty and matted, his bangs plastered to his forehead with dried blood. His shirt was open down the middle and his one sleeve was torn off at the elbow, revealing various cuts and bruises down his arms and torso. His clothes were tattered, his usually white pants stained dark brown from his blood.

"It's… really not that bad," Natsu said, lifting his hand to rub the back of his head. But his sore muscles protested against the action, causing him to wince and hiss through his teeth, slowly lowering his hand back to his side. "Okay, maybe it is."

"You said it was 'a bit' of a fall!" Lucy exclaimed. "It looks like Hell took you into its mouth and spit you back out!"

"Well, now you know why I wasn't able to make it back in time for Nashi's birthday party," he said sheepishly, smiling to try and lighten the mood. But Lucy wouldn't have it. She reached forward and flicked his nose. "Ow…"

"Can't you be serious for _once_?" she asked softly, her disapproving eyes boring into his. He couldn't stand that look. He looked down at his feet, unable to look her in the eyes any longer. After a moment's silence, she gently took his hand in hers. "Come on." She led him into the bed and sat him down on the mattress. She walked into the kitchen and came back a minute later with a first aid kit in her hand. After telling him to remove his shirt – which required her assistance, considering his screaming muscles wouldn't allow much movement – she got to patching him up. The whole process took a little more than half an hour, and she was now working on the cut on his face.

"Natsu, relax," she requested. "You're making this difficult." He did as much as he could to relax his face, but the stinging pain caused from the disinfectant was making it incredibly difficult. He sighed in relief when she pulled away, beginning the process of bandaging the wound. "There. All done." She put everything back into the kit and stood to put it back. As she did, Natsu lifted a hand to grasp his shoulder and rolled it, hoping it would relieve the tense ache. When she came back, he looked up at her with weary eyes.

"I hate feeling this sore," he said, rolling his other shoulder with a groan. "It sucks." Lucy rolled her eyes and sat down beside him.

"Turn around."

He looked at her. "What?"

"Turn around. Come on."

"Why?"

"Do you want it to stop hurting or not?" she snapped, folding her arms.

"Alright, alright. Sheesh," he uttered, turning on the couch so his back was to her. Lucy huffed and placed her hands on his shoulders, and began to message his neck. He stiffened at first, the pressure causing irritation to his already irritated body. But when the pads of her thumbs dug into his skin on either of his spine, he melted, unable to hold back the groan. He felt like he'd died and gone to heaven as her hands moved to his shoulder blades, gradually soothing the ache there. He wasn't at all surprised with his reaction. She'd always been good with her hands (wink, wink.)

Her fingers moved in small, gentle circles beneath his scapula. "Ah," he hissed, his back straightening slightly.

"Right there, huh?" she said, concentration evident in her voice.

"Dear god," he muttered as she added more pressure. Lucy giggled. Once she felt no more spasm around his shoulder blades, she moved to his lower back. She gently pressed into his spine.

"Oi," he gasped, his back arching suddenly.

"Did that hurt?" she asked, concerned. He shook his head.

"Just keep going."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "You're so demanding." Natsu chuckled in the back of his throat, but it quickly morphed into a low, pleased moan. He was going to drool. He was seriously going to drool, and he didn't even care. He was so wrapped up in how good it felt, he didn't even realize that he'd been leaning back into Lucy until she grunted. "Natsu. You're crushing me."

"Mm," he hummed, his eyes heavy with lack of sleep and a content grin on his face. She huffed and gathered the strength into her arms to push him over to the side.

"Get off of me," she said as he rolled over, his face falling a pillow. "Fatty." _That_ snapped him out of his blissful reverie. He hoisted himself up, his arms suddenly healed and full of their usual energy. He turned his head to look at her, his eyes narrowed into a fake glare.

"I am _not_ fat," he said slowly, making sure his point got through. His wife giggled.

"Are you sure? I mean, maybe if you weren't so fat, _this_…" she gestured to his injured form, "…wouldn't have happened." She began to laugh, but stopped abruptly when he grabbed the side of her neck and pulled her into a kiss. She squeaked with surprise, but quickly recovered, lifting a hand to cup his cheek as her eyes fluttered closed.

"I'm not fat," he whispered against her lips.

"I know," she murmured back. He grinned.

"Good." He touched his lips to hers, crawling over her. She put a hand on his chest and pulled away slightly.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked gently.

"I feel as good as new," he answered, leaning forward to reunite their lips. His hooded eyes were suddenly wide open when she pressed a finger to his lips, a smirk on her face.

"Good. Now go apologize to your daughter." Natsu blinked, stunned. He'd been gone for a week, and all he gets was a _kiss_? But… she gave him a _message!_ She only does that when she wants to…

"B-but—"

"No buts. You missed your daughter's first birthday. Go apologize."

"But she's sleeping!"

"Well, that's not my problem. Go on." Without saying anything else, she pulled away and walked to the bathroom to change into her pj's, leaving a dumbfounded Dragon Slayer on her bed. He watched as she disappeared behind the bathroom door and sighed. He slid off of the bed, grumbling to himself about being manipulated. She didn't even give him a goodnight kiss! And no, that kiss they shared a moment ago did not count. He quietly opened the door to Nashi's bedroom and slipped inside, approaching her crib. The sight that greeted him made his heart constrict. She was using Happy as a pillow, and her blanket was…

…his scarf. It was wrapped around her delicate being, and she was clutching onto the end of it like a life-line. A silly grin crawled onto his lips. Whatever pain had still been present on his body, vanished in an instant, like a leaf in an autumn wind.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! So… how'd I do with this one? Was it good? I hope so! Leave a review!**

**And be on the lookout for my upcoming story, written by me and my best friend Aylin!**


	17. Surprise

Surprise

* * *

Lucy jumped when she opened her eyes that morning. She was lying on her side, and much to her surprise, there was a pair of black eyes staring giddily at her from beside the mattress. Natsu, fully clothed and ready to go, was kneeling next to the bed, his eyes shining with excitement and his fangs glinting happily. "Luuucyyy…" he said softly. "Guess what day it is?" His only response was a groan as she turned her head to bury her face into her pillow. He drum-rolled the mattress with his hands. "It's your birthday!" He stood up. "C'mon, rise and shine, sleeping beauty."

"No…" she moaned, turning on her other side and snuggling into her blankets. Natsu tsked and jumped onto the bed.

"Don't be like that, Luce! It's your birthday!"

"Exactly," she snapped, looking over her shoulder at her husband. "Natsu, I just got back from a two-week long mission, and I'm exhausted. Just let me sleep in a few hours."

"I don't think so," he chuckled, grabbing the end of the blanket and pulling them off of her in one fluid motion. She gasped and curled into a tighter ball, stunned by the sudden lack of warmth. She glared at him.

"Nats—"

"Me, Happy, and Nashi have a big day planned for you," he explained, disregarding her heated stare. "I need you to get up and get ready right now."

"But Natsu…" Lucy whined, a shiver wracking her body.

"No buts. C'mon." He reached under her knees and around her shoulders and lifted her off the mattress. She leaned closer into his warmth, but it was gone as soon as it came when he let her down and shoved her to the direction of the bathroom. "Go take a bath. I'm gonna wake up my accomplices." Lucy watched as he bolted down the hall, a light smile on her face. Well… she was awake now. She walked over to her dresser to pick out some clothes for the day, shaking her head with a small laugh. Natsu always gave it his all to impress her, give her the best birthday ever. And it worked every year, and he somehow topped her previous birthday every year. She asked him once why he tries so hard. His answer?

He looked at her, very serious, and said "To make up for all of those birthdays your father forgot." Lucy sighed at the memory, her hand subconsciously reaching up to touch the mark on her neck.

Knowing that whatever Natsu had planned would take place outside, she grabbed a nice tank top and some jean short. Every year, "Lucy's birthday of awesomeness" – _his_ words, not hers – had something to do with being outside. Last year, two months after Nashi was born, he took them to the beach to relax. The year before that, in their second month of dating, he took her to the park, and then to a crystal blue lake he found a few miles from his house. So whatever he had up his sleeve this year, Lucy was excited to find out.

As she was changing in the bathroom after her shower, there was a knock at the door. "Luce? Are ya ready yet?" came Natsu's excited voice.

"Almost, Natsu," she laughed, reaching for the comb to untangled her damp hair. "I still have to dry my hair."

"Let me do that while you eat." Lucy rolled her eyes, but couldn't contain the giggle. He'd started a habit of drying her hair whenever she gave him an opportunity. He said he liked how soft it was, how it felt on his hands. And she never complained about it. He certainly was faster than her hair drier, and he made it smoother than her hair drier. She often asked herself why she kept that thing in the first place. His magic was obviously better. But then she remembered she'd have nothing to dry her hair with when he was out on the job. With a sigh, she set the comb down on the counter and left the room.

She was greeted by the glorious sound of Nashi laughing as Happy flew in circles around her head. The child was in a pretty coral blue dress that went down passed her knees. Lucy smiled fondly at the sight. That was the dress Levy bought them for the baby shower. Natsu was standing next to the bed, leaning up against the wall, tapping his foot impatiently and dressed in his usual attire. He grinned a blinding grin when he saw her. "There you are, slow-poke," he said, walking over to her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the kitchen, sitting her down at the table. "Eat up. We have a long train ride in an hour."

"We're taking the train?" Lucy asked, gawking at the amazing breakfast at the table. Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, biscuits, the whole shebang. "Did _you_ make all of this?"

"What? No. Mira did," he answered hurriedly, walking behind her to get started on her hair. "You know I don't cook."

"Don't I ever…" she mumbled. The first time she let him cook was the last time. Let's just say, it didn't go very well, and she ended up having to buy a whole new kitchen set. Silverware, other utensils, even some new counters.

"And yes, we're taking the train," he continued, not hearing her little comment. Or he was ignoring it, one of the two. "Now start eating."

"What about you and Nashi and Happy?"

"We ate while we were waiting for you. Now eat!"

"Alright, alright." She reached over the table and started to fill her plate. "So where're we going?" she asked curiously, taking a sip of her orange juice as Natsu threaded his fingers through her hair.

"I can't tell you," he answered coyly. "It's a surprise."

"Okay, well, how long is the train ride?"

"Four hours, give or take." Lucy scrunched up her face as she thought, taking a bite of her pancakes. What was approximately four hours away? She jumped when he reached over and pinched her ear. "Don't think about it. I want you to be surprised." The blonde sighed in defeat and continued to eat her breakfast. He's never taken her anywhere by train before. What was he planning? She _really_ wanted to know now. Within a few minutes, he pulled away. "Alright, your hair's done. Are you finished eating?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Then let's go!" He grabbed her hand and yanked her out of her seat, darting back into the bedroom. "You ready, Happy?"

"Aye!" he chirped. He flew over to the closet and pulled out a seemingly heavy stroller. Lucy laughed as she watched him struggle with it.

"I'll get it, Happy," she said, taking it from him and unfolding it.

"Thanks, Lucy," the feline huffed, thankful to not be carrying that thing anymore. She smiled and turned to get Nashi, but Natsu was way ahead of her. The Dragon Slayer settled the small child into the stroller and buckled her in, practically bursting at the seams with eccentric, excited energy. He placed a quick kiss on Nashi's forehead and bolted upright.

"Let's go!" he said, sending Lucy a brilliant smile and making his way toward the door.

"Are you going to be able to handle a four-hour train ride both ways?" she asked as she closed the door behind her.

"Don't worry about me," he dismissed with a flick of his hand. "Wendy's gotten better with her magic, y'know. She casted a powerful Troia spell on me, and said it should be able to last until we get back."

"But I thought you were immune to Troia now, because she's used it on you so often."

"I told you. She's gotten better."

* * *

The ride to wherever they were going was relatively quiet. The only sounds that filled their car were Nashi's awed gurgles as she watched the scenery pass by through the window, and Lucy's light breathing. She'd fallen asleep on Natsu's shoulder thirty minutes into the ride, and despite his overflowing excitement for the day's upcoming events, he couldn't blame her. It was true she'd gotten back from a two-week long mission just the night before, and he _did_ wake her up a six in the morning. It wasn't originally his plan to wake her up so early, but the ride to where they were going was a four hour trip. He wanted to get there before noon so they'd have a full day to hang out and have an awesome birthday. Besides, he didn't want her to be super tired all day. So he was completely fine with her falling asleep on the way there. That meant she could get the rest she needed.

What surprised him, though, was that Nashi was as energetic as ever. He figured she'd be asleep on the way too. Maybe she got her energy from him, he thought with a proud smirk. Sure he loved to sleep, but it didn't take much for him to feel energized and awake. He turned to Lucy when he felt her shift. Her eyes were still closed as she scooted away from him, and lowered herself to lie down, resting her head on his lap. He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder, using the other one to brush her hair from her face. She sighed and snuggled into his thigh. His grin broadened, but disappeared when he heard snickering. He looked up to see Happy sitting on top of Nashi's stroller, hiding his mouth with his paws and giggling. Natsu tsked and rolled his eyes, a faint blush dusting his cheeks.

Happy still teased him about acting all lovey-dovey with Lucy. And for some reason unbeknownst to the Dragon Slayer, he still got embarrassed. Maybe it was because he still wasn't completely used to acting like this with her, even though they'd been together for nearly a year. Maybe he wasn't used to it because… it was _Lucy._ She'd been his best friend since she joined the guild, and he never would have _imagined_ that someone as perfect as her would go for a guy like him. But he loved her for it.

Momentarily forgetting about Happy and his teasing, Natsu leaned forward and pressed his lips to Lucy's temple. When he straightened up, he couldn't conceal the goofy grin. She was going to _love_ her birthday surprise this year. And he couldn't wait until they got there. He couldn't wait to see her face. He physically had to stop himself from bouncing with excitement.

The train slid to a stop when they arrived, but Lucy remained fast asleep in Natsu's lap. The hand on her shoulder gave her a light shake. "Lucy," he said. "Luce, wake up. We're here." The blonde stirred and peeled her eyes open.

"We're here already?" she asked sleepily, pushing herself up into a sitting position as she rubbed her eyes.

"Yup! It's been four hours."

"So are you going to tell me _where_ we are?" Natsu laughed and stood up, grabbing her hand and pulling her up as well. He reached for Nashi's stroller.

"Well, you'll just have to go outside and see," he answered as Happy opened the door to their compartment. With a jubilant smile, he pushed the stroller out of the car and down the aisle, Lucy trailing close behind. When they exited the train, Natsu looked at her and gestured to the town's sign. She followed his gaze and her eyes widened.

"Shizukesa?" she asked softly.

"Yup! Surprise!"

Shizukesa Town, the most peaceful place in all of Fiore. It's where all of the nicest people live. Every year, in the middle of December, there is the three-day-long Heiwa Festival, where the town's most talented dancers and performers put on a show in the center of the town's supermarket. There are no magical guilds, but Lucy had read about it several times in _Sorcerer Weekly._ And ever since she read the article about the Heiwa Festival seven months ago, she's been dying to visit. And now here she was. It wasn't December, but that didn't matter.

"So…?" Natsu said slowly, shifting nervously on his feet. "Whaddya think?"

"I think you're incredible, Natsu," she said breathlessly, taking a look among the people at the train station. The Dragon Slayer beside her beamed.

"Great! Now c'mon! We've got a whole day ahead of us!"

* * *

**That night…**

This was _by far_ the best birthday _ever_ for Lucy. The day she had with her family was beyond words. The food in Shizukesa was wonderful, simple yet delicious. The people were _so_ friendly. And the town itself was beautiful. It was a quaint little town, the buildings made of brick and the sidewalk made of gorgeous cobblestone. Colorful lamps were strung over the streets, and the supermarket was home to one of the most elegant fountains the celestial wizard had ever seen. And according to one of the women walking around, the town had a firework presentation on the first of every month, just for the heck of it.

How convenient.

Now it was close to 9 PM, and they were standing beside the fountain in the supermarket, waiting for the fireworks to start. And when they did, flashes of reds and blues and greens erupted against the cloudless black sky. One hand perched on her waist and the other holding up Nashi, Natsu glanced over at Lucy as she looked up at the display, the vibrant colors reflecting beautifully in her chocolate eyes. Happy was sitting on her shoulder, his tail wrapped draped lazily around her neck. The Dragon Slayer leaned down with a grin. "Happy birthday," he whispered into her ear. She turned her head to look at him and smiled.

"Thank you, Natsu," she whispered back, pressing her lips to his.

"M… Ma…ma." The two wizards froze in their kiss, slowly pulling apart to look at each other. Also hearing the small voice, Happy turned to face them, shocked. After a moment, they all turned to Nashi.

"What did you say, sweetheart?" Lucy asked, her eyes wide with hopeful surprise.

"M… Mama," Nashi said again, reaching out toward her with a smile. Her parents laughed in unison.

"She spoke!" Lucy exclaimed, taking her from Natsu's arms. "You spoke, Nashi!" The girl giggled as Natsu placed a gentle kiss on her scalp, clapping her small hands.

Yup. Definitely the best birthday ever.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! So, my birthday was on Tuesday. I turned fifteen. And guess what? My mom got me Sony Vegas Pro, so I'm gonna be making some AMV's along with my writing! As soon as I have one done, I'll post a link on my profile. Anyway, I planned to post this on my birthday, but I was exhausted by the end of the day. And yesterday I was just plain lazy. I hope you guys like it! And I even added Shizukesa into the story! Leave a review, please!**


	18. His Home

His Home

_I just wanna let you know,  
That I've done a few things I wasn't proud of,  
might have said a few things that hurt you,  
but you're still the only one who fills me up,  
and all the tears that we've shared were worth it.  
You are my home, you are my everything,  
when I feel so alone.  
You are my home, you are my shelter,  
when all my hope is gone.  
You are my home, you are my everything,  
when I feel so alone.  
You are my heart.  
You are the one._

* * *

It's been his second month away.

He was exhausted and fatigued.

And he was _finally_ on his way home.

In fact, he was just outside of Magnolia at around midnight. He'd long lost sight of Gray and Erza and Happy, for getting back to his girls was his main priority. _God,_ he missed them so much. This was the first time he'd been gone for more than a couple of weeks, and it was killing him inside. He needed to see them again. He needed to kiss his wife, he needed to hold his baby girl. He _needed_ to be home, with the two most important people in his life.

Natsu ran through the dimly-lit streets of Magnolia, heading for their apartment in a mad dash. His heart was thumping viciously against his chest from the adrenaline and anticipation. His feet were kicking up dust and small stones, and he nearly slipped from the water when he reached the canal. He couldn't remember running so fast in his life. His feet barely had time to land before they were picked up again. His body was worn out from the long mission and his muscles were screaming in protest, but he didn't care. He needed to reach their house as soon as possible. It was close to one in the morning, and he knew that both Lucy and Nashi would be asleep, but that didn't matter. He just wanted to be home.

Natsu skidded to a stop in front of their apartment, relieved to have finally reached it. He bent over his knees – which currently felt like Jell-O – to take a breather, his shoulders heaving with each deep intake of air. He could feel his blood pumping through his veins, the arteries in his neck and wrists pulsing harshly against his skin. After somewhat regaining his breath, he forced his legs to move, lifting the window open and hauling himself inside, ignoring how badly his arms shook as he did so. Instead of closing the window, like he usually did, he left it open so Happy could get inside whenever he arrived. Still breathing in sharp pants, he wiped away the faint sheen of sweat that accumulated on his forehead and took a deep breath through his nose. It smelled of cherries and chai. His exhale came out as a sigh.

He was home.

He followed the scent of chai toward his daughter's room and silently opened the door. There she was, peacefully asleep in her crib and wrapped snugly in his scarf. Nashi loved that thing almost as much as he did. Stepping up to her crib, he carefully reached inside and lifted her up into his arms, scarf and all. She whined. "Shh..." he hushed softly, gently brushing her hair from her face. The small child sniffed the air, and her dark brown eyes slowly opened halfway. They were heavy with sleep.

"Daddy…" she gurgled, her speech still sloppy and unpracticed. Natsu smiled warmly.

"Hey, baby girl," he whispered. "I missed you."

"Ah," she uttered sleepily, untangling her hands from his scarf and reaching for his face. "Ah." He grinned and leaned down to give her a kiss. When he pulled away, he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Go back to sleep, amai. Okay?" Understanding, she closed her eyes and snuggled into his chest with a tired whimper. Within a couple of seconds, he could tell that she was fast asleep. He placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, Nashi." As he carefully lowered her back into her crib, he heard the door open behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Happy, his eyes half-lidded and baggy. He grinned. "Hey, buddy."

"Hi, Natsu," the Exceed answered tiredly, rubbing his eyes with his paws. He lazily nuzzled Natsu's cheek before landing in the crib and curling up beside Nashi. He yawned quietly and fell asleep a moment later. The Dragon Slayer chuckled and lightly scratched one of Happy's ears before leaving the room, making his way toward his bedroom. Lucy was at the far end of the bed, her back facing him. Her shoulders slowly rose and fell with each breath, her soft breathing the only sound occupying the room. Natsu yawned, the temptation of sleep finally getting to him. He approached the bed, discarding his shirt and sandals along the way. He slipped beneath the covers and settled directly behind the blonde, draping his arm over her waist. He pushed himself up high enough to lean over and place a kiss on her cheek, before sinking into the mattress and pressing himself against her, already falling asleep.

He felt her shift beneath his arm. She moaned sleepily as she looked over her shoulder at him. She smiled and reached for his hand that was resting comfortably against her stomach, tangling their fingers together. She lifted his hand and kissed his knuckles. "Goodnight, Natsu," she whispered. Natsu grinned and snuggled into her hair, inhaling deeply. He never thought he'd be so happy to smell cherries.

"Night, Luce." He loved this woman. Wherever she was, that's where he wanted to be. She was his home.

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! So… the song at the beginning was "My Home" by Thousand Foot Krutch. They are currently my favorite band. For those of you who haven't heard of them, I suggest you check them out, because they are **_**amazing!**_** They have so many great songs, and the majority of their love songs remind me of Natsu and Lucy, so be prepared for future chapters to be inspired by them. Anyway, I hope you liked it! I know it was short, and I apologize. But leave a review nonetheless, alright? Oh! And "amai" means "sweet." Just in case you were wondering.**


	19. Side-Story: Meeting the Twins

Meeting the Twins

* * *

"So what do you think the genders are?" Lucy asked, bouncing Nashi in her lap. The two of them, Natsu, and Erza were sitting in the medical corridor at the guild hall. Juvia had gone into labor some time ago and was now giving birth to twins, and they were waiting outside.

"Who cares?" Natsu snapped. He was being pretty pissy at the moment, incredibly annoyed that Wendy and Porlyusica allowed Gray to be in the delivery room with Juvia, when he was practically forced to stay outside when Nashi was being born. Lucy rolled her eyes and slapped him across the shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For being an ass," she answered calmly. "I know you don't want to admit it, but Gray _is_ your friend. And so is Juvia. Can't you be mature about something for once?" Natsu folded his arms across his chest and huffed stubbornly. Lucy sighed and turned to Nashi. "What do _you_ think, Nashi? Boy or girl?"

"Boy!" Nashi said, bouncing up and down on her mother's lap. "Boy! Boy!" The blonde laughed. Whenever her daughter was given an option, she wouldn't choose the one she preferred. She would choose the one that was easier to say. Another resemblance to her father. She looked up at Erza.

"What about you, Erza?" The swordswoman lifted a hand to her chin as she thought.

"I'm really not sure," she replied slowly. "I suppose we're just going to have to wait and see." As if on cue, Porlyusica walked through the door, dismissed herself, and left. Wendy appeared a second later with Charle on her shoulder, identical wide smiles on their faces.

"Come in, you guys," said Charle as Wendy waved them inside. "They're adorable!" The group simultaneously stood from their seats and stepped through the door. Juvia sat in the bed at the far end of the room, cradling one of the children against her chest, while Gray held the other as he sat in a chair beside her. He caught sight of their nakama first, a grin on his face.

"Hey, guys," he greeted merrily, the child in his arms whining cutely. He nodded down to the newborn. "This is Amaya." He turned toward his wife. "And that's Avalon." Charle didn't exaggerate when she said that they were adorable. It was one hundred percent true. Both of them had deep blue eyes and black hair, and Amaya was wrapped in a thick blanket as she lay in Gray's arms. You could guess who the ice wizard was between the two.

"So you have one of each?" Erza inquired, a warm grin stretching across her lips. "Miss Amaya and Mister Avalon." Gray and Juvia exchanged glances and smiled, the ice alchemist leaning back in his chair as he gazed at his daughter's curious face.

"Lucy? Erza?" said Juvia, holding up their son and brushing his dark hair from his face. "Don't you think he looks like Gray? Juvia thinks so." Lucy handed Nashi to Natsu and stepped closer to the bed to get a better look at the young man.

"Hm…" she hummed, tilting her head to the side.

"Let's try this," said Erza, reaching around Gray's neck and unclipping his necklace. She approached the water wizard and hung the silver sword around Avalon's neck.

"And this." Lucy reached over and used her nails to comb the boy's hair, positioning it back in his face. The celestial wizard and the swordswoman shared a collective gasp. "Aw, he does! He _does_ look like his father!"

"He's a spitting image," Erza added, glancing at Gray over her shoulder. He grinned and bumped fists with Natsu. The Fairy Tail family keeps getting bigger and bigger.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! Well, I introduce the newest members to the Fullbuster family, Amaya and Avalon! Nashi's new best friends are born! Yay! Anyway, hope you guys liked it. Please leave a review!**

**P.S. So, this chapter is so short because it is a side-story. All of the side-story chapters are going to be shorter than the others, just to let you guys know. :)**


	20. Always Love You

Always Love You

* * *

"Where the _hell_ do you think you're going?"

The boisterous guild instantly fell silent when Team Natsu burst through the doors. Natsu was the first to walk in, fists clenched angrily at his sides and his usually happy face was contorted into a menacing scowl. Lucy was hot on his tail, her left arm held up in a sling. She was the one that had announced their entrance. Erza, Gray, Wendy, and the Exceeds followed them inside, all of them looking a mix of annoyed and worried. "What's wrong with them?" Mirajane asked quietly as Gray sat down at the bar. He shrugged.

"They've been going at it the whole walk home," he said, rolling his eyes as he ordered his drink.

"Why don't you just stop and explain this to me?" Lucy asked, putting her good hand on her hip. Natsu spun around.

"Since _when_ have I ever explained anything to you?" he spat back.

"Now would be a good time to start!"

"No, it wouldn't!"

"Yes, it would!"

"No!"

"Bullshit!" There were collective gasps among the room. Lucy _never_ swore, other than "damn" or "ass." Lucy lifted a hand to her face. "Oh, for crying out loud…" she groaned.

"You're not crying," Natsu stated in a strangled voice. He paused or a moment, and added, "Yet, anyway."

"I know that!" the blonde screeched, throwing her hand up for emphasis. "Now _stop_ whatever it is that you're doing! Were you _trying_ to get rid of me or something?" Natsu's eyes widened with shock, and she almost regretted saying the words at all. _Almost._ He seemed hurt that she had even suggested it.

"Well, shit," he said, his brows pinching together. "If that's the way you see it, then fine. It wasn't safe."

Lucy blinked. "_Excuse me?_" she said softly, earning nervous stares from several boys in the guild. "I've thrown myself off a tower, been through countless battles like the rest of you, and I have the guts to stay with _you – _an egotistical, temperamental, fire-breathing brute of a man!"

"Don't be fucking stupid, Lucy!" he snarled. "I'd _never_ hurt you on purpose, you idiot—"

"How am _I_ the stupid one? You're the one—"

"It's because it's _my_ fault!" he roared, coming toward her in a rush with his hand raised. Lucy flinched, and he halted immediately. Realizing what he'd almost done, he used that raised hand to rub the back of his neck. They stared at each other, breathing heavily.

"What's your fault?" she asked slowly, refusing to take a step back.

"You got hurt. You were right there, right under my _fucking_ nose and I let that bastard get a hold of you! You were so close I could've _grabbed_ you!" He ran a hand through his messy hair, and eyed the nearest table as if he wanted to slam his head into it.

Lucy felt her blood boil. "I am _not_ some damsel in distress, Natsu! I can take care of myself and you know it!"

"Look where that got you," Natsu hissed, gesturing to her broken arm. "That could have been prevented if I had been faster."

"We've been over this before, Natsu! The two of us have been in millions of life or death situations! What makes this time so different? _Why_ are you beating yourself up _so much_ over this mission?"

"It's _different_, dammit!" They were stepping closer to each other with each retort as the tension heightened. Their faces were red from fury. And nobody watching _dared_ to try and stop the argument.

"_How,_" she grit out, "is it different?" Natsu paused, trying to come up with the best way to phrase it. But Lucy mistook his pause for hesitation. She spoke in a softer tone, but still held the anger. "I've told you this _countless_ times before. It's _not_ your fault that I got hurt. We've all broken limbs before." She poked his chest with her finger, jabbing him rather painfully with each word. "It's. Not. Your. Fault."

"It's different because…" He trailed off, still not having a firm grasp on what he wanted to say. Lucy held up a hand.

"Save it." And with that, she turned toward the guild doors. But before she left, she sent him a look over her shoulder. "Why don't you stay at _your_ place tonight?" Before he could respond, she left.

* * *

Natsu kept his little shack in the middle of the forest for situations like this. Knowing his infamous temper, he needed a place to cool down away from people who could agitate him further – i.e. Lucy. She had a special talent to piss him off beyond his limits. It didn't happen very often, but when it did, he felt ready to kill her. Although they both know he would never lay a hand on her.

Right now, he was lying in his hammock, his foot pushing up against the wall, causing the hammock the swing back and forth. He felt bad. He knew Lucy was right. He _did_ overreact about her getting hurt. But… she's his wife, now. He needs to protect her. He _has_ to protect her. And knowing that he failed to protect her… it killed him inside. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, sinking farther into the fabric. He jumped when there was a knock at the door. "Whaddya want?" he snapped, instantly knowing who it was. Lucy was the only one who knew where his house is besides Happy. He heard her try to open the door.

"Natsu," she said, her voice muffled from the wooden door. "Open the door."

"No," he said stubbornly.

"Dammit, Natsu, stop being a drama queen."

"I'm _not_ a drama queen! I'm a guy!"

"Whatever," she sighed. She sighed and spoke in a softer tone. "Natsu, please open the door."

"Make me."

"Stop acting like a toddler, Natsu. You're twenty-three." The Dragon Slayer folded his arms across his chest and stuck out his tongue toward the door, something he knew she couldn't see. "Put your tongue back in your mouth. You'll catch flies." Natsu blinked, slowly retracting his tongue. _How…?_ There was a long pause. "Are you seriously not gonna open the door?"

"Nope."

"Fine." He heard her take a breath. "Natsu, I'm sorry." The Salamander felt his eyes widen. She was… apologizing? Why was _she_ the one apologizing? He scoffed.

"Well, I don't accept," he said childishly.

There was a pause. "You can't just _deny_ my apology!" she yelled.

"I just did." He changed the tone in his voice. "Besides… you didn't do anything wrong. You shouldn't be apologizing. _I_ should be the one apologizing."

"Then do it." Natsu took a deep breath, running a hand down his face. He stood from his hammock and approached the door, unlocking it and opening it. There she was, looking as pretty as ever, her good hand perched on her hip. She was looking up at him expectantly. "I'm waiting."

"Lucy, I…" he began, scratching the back of his head. "I'm sorry."

"For…?"

"For overreacting about you getting hurt. For yelling at you, for making you think I consider you as a damsel in distress. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He growled in frustration as he ruffled his hair. He _hated_ apologizing, and he was never very good at it. He was expecting Lucy to yell at him about making his apology more meaningful or something, but her lecture never came. He jumped in surprise when stepped closer to him and wrapped her arm around him.

"Was that so hard?" she asked teasingly, leaning against his chest. Natsu smiled and returned the hug, taking care to not agitate her arm. He lowered his head to kiss the top of her head.

"Just so you know, I know you can take care of yourself," he said into her hair.

"Oh, really?"

"Don't be like that. You're a member of Fairy Tail. It's obvious that you can take care of yourself." They stayed like that for a moment. With the side of her face pressed up against his chest, she listened to his heart as it thrummed against his ribcage. Before she could stop it, tears pricked at the back of her eyes. He could feel her shoulders shaking. "Luce?" he said softly, resting his chin on the top of her head. "What's wro—"

"I'm sorry," she breathed. The tone in her voice caught him off guard, and when she sniffled, that's when he realized what that salty smell was. She was crying. No… No, no, no… He didn't want her to cry. He _hated_ seeing her cry. Her grip around him tightened. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey," he said gently, putting his hands on her shoulders and pulling her back so he could look her in the eye. "Hey. None of that." He cupped her face with both hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "Look at me, Lucy." She did as told, lifting her face to look at him through tearful eyes. He smiled. "I already told you, didn't I? Don't apologize. You didn't do anything."

"I… I screamed at you," she whimpered, sucking in a shaky breath. Natsu laughed lightly.

"So? I still love you." Lucy sniffled and lifted her hand to grab his wrist, holding his hand in place against her cheek. He shrugged. "Besides, you scream at me all the time. I don't know what made this time any different." He used the hand she wasn't holding to brush her hair behind her ear. "Nothing could ever drive me away from you." He whispered the next part. "I'll always love you." With that said, he ducked his head and kissed her. She instantly returned it, stepping closer to him. "Hey," he muttered against her lips. She hummed in response. "Can I come home?" Lucy laughed breathily.

"Of course."

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! Wow! I've been updating like crazy lately, haven't I? And we've hit chapter twenty, the second milestone in this story! (The first one was reaching 100 reviews.) Speaking of reviews, why don't you drop one off before you leave?**


	21. Lullaby

Lullaby

* * *

Natsu moaned when he realized that he was awake. Judging from how dark it was behind his eyelids, it had to be the middle of the night. He grunted with dissatisfaction and turned onto his side, his eyebrows knitting together with annoyance. Why was he suddenly awake? Is Nashi crying?

…

No, he didn't hear anything. Nothing but the wind gently tapping against the window, and his own breathing. But then he realized, it was only _his_ breathing that he heard. Without opening his eyes, he ran a hand over the sheets to the other side of the bed, blindly searching for another presence. But he didn't find one. Confused, he finally pried his lead-heavy eyes open, and saw that he was alone on the mattress. Lucy wasn't there, although the sheet below his hand was still warm. She must've gotten up to go to the bathroom or something.

With a tired groan, the Dragon Slayer pushed himself into a sitting position, the covers falling from his bare chest and pooling around his waist. He rubbed his eyes as he yawned, trying to get rid of the bleariness that distorted his vision. Holding his arms out as he stretched, he swung his legs over the side of the mattress and headed across the room towards the kitchen. His mouth was a bit dry. Might as well get a drink of water before going back to sleep. His feet lazily padded against the floor as he walked, one of his hands reaching up to ruffle his already disheveled hair, scratching the back of his head in the process.

He reached into the cupboard and pulled out a small glass, holding it under the faucet as he turned on the tap. He watched through tired, half-lidded eyes as the water filled up the glass. When it was a fraction of an inch from the brim, he turned off the faucet and brought the glass up to his lips. He tilted his head back and downed the whole thing in one go. It felt incredible, the water smooth and cold as it went down his throat. Setting the glass in the sink, he made his way back to the bedroom. He stopped in his tracks when he heard a voice coming from down the hall, toward his daughter's room.

He tensed, suspecting the worst. But he relaxed when he recognized the voice as Lucy's. He shook his head and laughed lightly at himself. He got worked up over nothing. He turned to walk back to the bed, but he stopped again. He heard a change in her voice. It took him a moment to figure out what the change was exactly. She was… singing. To Nashi, most likely. Without any hesitation, he approached her bedroom. Hearing his wife sing was a rare occasion, and he didn't want to miss it. As he got closer to the room, he noticed that the door was left slightly ajar. He stood against the wall beside the opening, wanting to remain hidden. He didn't want her to know he was listening. She would most likely stop if she knew.

_Kotoba no imi sae mo kokoro no okiba sae mo  
Koe sae ushinattemo boku wa koko de utau darou  
Koko kara hibike tooku_

_Miminari ni kesareta seijaku no yoru  
Mikazuki no akari nit e o nobasu  
Kensou ni tatazumu ano hi no kimi wa  
Katachi nai mirai o oikeketeta  
Sono te wa kuu o tsukandekitakedo_

_Listen to it, listen to it  
Deai ga tsumuideiku merodi  
Listen to me, listen to me  
Oto ni kawaru_

Natsu smiled. He didn't know why she didn't sing more often. She had a lovely voice, better than Lyra's, maybe even Mirajane's. Her accent was amazing, pronouncing every word with perfect clarity. She had the voice of an angel, and he really wished he could hear it more often. He heard her say goodnight to Nashi, and then her approaching footsteps. She walked out of the room, and silently closed the door, failing to notice her husband standing beside her. Grinning, Natsu took the opportunity to step behind her and wrap his arms around her waist. She jumped and squeaked, causing him to chuckle as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Natsu!" she hissed quietly, smacking his arm. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry," he apologized softly, his arms tightening a fraction around her as he nuzzled into her neck. "I just wanted to hear you sing." Lucy blushed.

"You heard that?"

"Mm, hm." The pink tint on her cheeks darkened to a light red.

"I'm sorry, Natsu."

He laughed. "Why're you apologizing? I thought it was great. I like that song." There was a pause before a light chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Why were you singing in the first place? Did you just wake up and suddenly want to sing to her?" Despite her embarrassment, Lucy laughed breathily and shook her head, grabbing his hand as she began to walk to their bedroom.

"No. She was crying." She looked at him. "You didn't hear her?" He shook his head. "That's weird. You're usually the first to hear her." Natsu shrugged.

"Maybe I did, because I woke up soon after you left," he said, practically falling onto the mattress. He looked up at her like a sick puppy. "Or maybe it was because you left me." Lucy smiled at him, and crawled into bed beside him, pushing him to the side.

"Scooch over, you goof," she laughed, resting her head on his shoulder. She giggled when she heard him yawn like a lion. "Tired?"

"Yeah," he answered sleepily. "Your singing almost put me to sleep."

…

Lucy held up her weight on her elbows to look at him. "Am I _that_ bad?" she asked despondently. Natsu's eyes widened when he realized his mistake.

"N-no! That's not what I—" The blonde turned away from him and lied back down with her back to him. "Luce, that's not what I meant. You have a beautiful voice!"

"Goodnight, Natsu."

"Luuucyyy…" he whined, trying to wrap his arms around her. She pushed him off.

"_Goodnight, Natsu."_ He sighed in defeat. So much for hearing her sing more often.

* * *

**Author's Note: hehehe. Hey, guys. Natsu just doesn't think before he speaks, does he? Smh. Anyway, I hope you guys liked it. Leave a review please!**

**P.S. The song is "Echoes" by Universe. Here's the English lyrics.  
**_**Even if my words are to lose meaning,  
even if my heart is to lose its place to belong,  
even if I am to lose my voice,  
you know, I will always be here singing,  
echo on from here to the far and beyond.**_

_**In the restful night that broke apart the resonation in your ears,  
you reach your hand out to the halo of the crescent moon.  
You, still entangled by the chaos back then,  
have been chasing a vague future ever since.  
Even though, your hand could grasp but empty air.**_

_**Listen to it, listen to it,  
The melody that was weaved from the encounters.  
Listen to me, listen to me,  
I'll sing it for you.**_


	22. Unwell

Unwell

* * *

"Where's Lucy?" asked Mirajane as she polished an already flawless beer mug. Natsu rested his chin on his hand, watching as Nashi played with her dragon beanie-baby on the bar table.

"She's sick," he answered softly without turning to the barmaid.

"Really?" Lisanna gasped from beside him. "With what?" The Dragon Slayer shrugged.

"She thinks it's the stomach flu."

Lisanna smirked. "That's what she said when she was pregnant with Nashi and didn't want to tell you yet. Is she…"

"No," Natsu cut in, finally turning to his childhood friend. "No, when she was pregnant with Nashi, she would feel better almost immediately after throwing up. But… she's vomiting once every hour now, almost _on_ the hour. She's not even throwing up, anymore. It's more like dry-heaving. She has a fever, and she's sweating like crazy, too."

Mira's brows knitted together with worry. "Has she eaten anything bad recently?" she inquired, setting the mug down to clean another one. "Maybe it's food poisoning." Natsu shrugged again, turning back to his daughter, smiling gently when she looked at him with a toothy grin, uttering the word "Daddy" as she did. "When did she start feeling sick?"

"Last night, at around one in the morning. She was suddenly awake and ran over to the bathroom, nearly trampling me in the process. She drank some water, but she threw it back up fifteen minutes later. She woke up an hour later and barfed again, and after that, she kept getting up and running to the bathroom. She hardly got any sleep. You shoulda seen how cold she was when she came back after the third time. She was shaking as much as Plue."

"Maybe she should see Wendy," Lisanna suggested, taking a drink of her lemonade.

"Happy brought her over this morning," he said, reaching over to brush Nashi's bangs out of her face. "She said it's a virus, but not a serious one. She also said that she should be fine within three to five days."

"Thank goodness for that," Mira sighed. She brightened a second later. "Oh! I have just the thing for an upset stomach. I'll go—"

"Oi, Mira!" The she-devil turned to the sound of her name. Macao and Wakaba were waving her over. "Refill, please!"

"I'll be right there, Macao!" She turned to her sister. "Lisanna, could you get some of my herbal tea?"

"Of course, Mira-nee." The youngest Strauss sibling hopped off the bar stool and disappeared into the kitchen, while Mira left to tend to the boys. Natsu sighed and rested his head on the counter. He didn't want to be there. He wanted to be with Lucy, in their apartment, making sure she was okay. He wasn't exaggerating when he explained how cold she was. She was trembling violently, even as she huddled under the comforter, with his arms wrapped around her. She was freezing, but at the same time, she was sweating like she was out in the desert on a hot summer day. He yawned. Having her darting out of bed and running across the room to the bathroom several times during the night not only meant little sleep for her, but for him too.

"Natsu." He sat up when he heard his name. Lisanna was back, and handed him a package of tea. "Take this to Lucy. Mix one pack of this with some water and heat it up. It may not help with her sickness, but it should ease her stomach for a period of time."

"Thanks, Lisanna." Holding the tea in one hand, he lifted Nashi up in his other and began his trek home.

* * *

Lucy groaned wearily as she flushed the toilet, her hands gripping the rim of the porcelain seat. That was the third trip to the bathroom since Natsu and Nashi went to the guild. She hadn't eaten anything all day, so the only substance that had been coming up with nothing but stomach acid, and it left a truly horrible taste in her mouth. Her arms shook violently as she pushed herself to her feet. She passed on brushing her teeth. She knew she should've washed her moth, but the last time she did, she ended up gagging herself, resulting in another round of dry-heaving. Besides, she was _freezing_. She was wearing a pair of sweatpants and one of Natsu's shirts, but she was still far from being warm. Even as she slipped under the thick blanket on their bed, she was still shuddering like crazy.

She'll admit, she was the one who told Natsu to go to the guild. She didn't want him to stay here with her like this all day. But now she was really just _hoping_ he would come home soon. She was sure she'd die of hyperthermia if he wasn't to return soon. She pulled the blanket closer, curling into a ball on the mattress. No matter what she did, she _couldn't get warm!_ It was so frustrating! Mixed in with the sleep deprivation and constant vomiting, she was not one happy wizard right now. She just wanted to go to sleep. She jumped when she heard the front door open.

"Lucy, I'm home," Natsu called from the living room.

"Natsu…" she moaned, her voice coming out almost like a pathetic whine. She heard him set something down in the kitchen before he opened the door to their bedroom, holding Nashi with one arm.

"Hey," he said gently, setting Nashi down on the floor to play. He approached her. "How're you feeling?"

"Poopy."

Natsu snorted as he sat on the side of the mattress. "Poopy?" She slowly nodded her head, an uncontrollable shiver wracking her body. His smile fell as he reached toward her, sliding his hand beneath her bangs to feel her forehead. "You're burning up."

"It d-doesn't feel like it…"

"Still cold?"

"Freezing."

Natsu clicked his tongue, beginning to stroke her hair. "Lisanna gave me some of Mira's herbal tea. She said that it should help your stomach feel better for the time being. Want me to make you some?" Lucy sleepily nodded her head. He smiled softly, leaning down to kiss her forehead. He stood up and made his way for the kitchen.

"Daddy," Nashi uttered, reaching toward him. "Up." He chuckled as he kneeled down, lifting her up into his arms. He walked into the kitchen and set her down in her high chair. She pouted. "_Daddyyyy…"_ she whined, holding her hands out to him.

"Hold on a sec," he said, opening a can of bananas. "I have to make Mama some tea." He turned to set her food down in front of her. She folded her arms and stuck her tongue at him. He did the same, earning a cute giggle. He smiled. "It's impossible for you to stay mad, amai." He began working on Lucy's tea, heating it up to scalding within a matter of seconds. He poured it into a glass, making his way back to the bedroom. He stopped when Nashi whined, looking over his shoulder at her. "Don't look at me like that. I'll be right back." He laughed lightly as he stepped through the door. Nashi was so needy sometimes.

He came back to retrieve his daughter after giving Lucy her tea. He sat down at the foot of the bed with Nashi in his lap. Both he and Lucy jumped when the child sneezed. Natsu's shoulders drooped. "Don't tell me you're getting sick too…" As if in response, Nashi sneezed three more times. The Dragon Slayer sighed. "Great. Now I'm gonna have _two_ sick girls to take care of."

* * *

**Author's Note: whoa! Two chapters in one day? This should happen more often, no? If only, though… I hope you liked it! Please leave a review!**


	23. Favoritism

Favoritism

* * *

"You really should get some rest."

"Natsu, I'm tired of being cooped up in here. I need to get outside, go to the guild."

"But—"

"I feel better now, really." Lucy stood up from the bed, pushing Natsu away when he tried to sit her back down. She took two steps toward her dresser to get a clean pair of clothes, but swayed, the world spinning around her. She wavered precariously, falling back into Natsu's chest. He scoffed.

"Really?"

"Okay, okay. Maybe I'm a little dizzy, but that's just because I've been constantly vomiting for the past three days. I'm just a little dehydrated."

"A little?" Natsu echoed, keeping his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "You can barely stand up straight." Lucy lightly shrugged his hands away.

"I'll be fine, Natsu. I just need some water. And maybe a shower." She paused for a moment before nodding her head. "Yes, a shower sounds fantastic. I'm pretty sure I smell disgusting." The Dragon Slayer tilted his head before smiling.

"Not possible," he stated, folding his arms matter of factly. "You always smell good." Lucy looked at him disbelievingly.

"Whatever," she scoffed.

Natsu pouted. "But it's true! You always smell like cherries! Even right after you come out from a fight!"

"Cherries?" Lucy echoed. "I smell like cherries?" He nodded his head enthusiastically. "Does Nashi smell like anything?"

"Chai." Lucy hummed. She always smelled like cherries, and Nashi always smelled like chai? She didn't know that. Natsu never told her how she smelled. Huh. The novelist staggered over to her dresser to pick out some fresh clothes. When she stood up straight, she wavered again. Natsu stepped toward her, his arms held out in case he needed to catch her again. "You sure you're gonna be okay?" he asked cautiously. Lucy gripped the side of her dresser to steady herself.

"Yes. Like I said, I just need a shower and some water." She laughed lightly as she made her way to the bathroom, reaching down to stroke Nashi's head as she passed by. The child looked up at her sweetly before going back to her beanie-baby.

"Just don't make the water too hot," Natsu advised, raising his voice to be heard from inside the bathroom. He walked over to Nashi and sat in front of her. "I don't want you passing out in the shower."

"You worry too much, Dad," she commented from the other side of the door. Natsu rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Only looking out for my wife." Lucy giggled, absently touching her fingers to the mark on her neck as she approached the shower. She didn't know why, but she picked up a habit of touching it whenever he said or did something sweet. She just did it on impulse. She sighed as she turned the water on, cupping her hand under the water flow to test the temperature. She usually liked taking hot showers, to where the bathroom would be clouded with steam within a matter of minutes. But she had to agree with Natsu. Having the water too hot with her current condition might result in a concussion and a trip to the Fairy Tail infirmary. And she really didn't want another injury. Her broken arm healed just a week ago.

Lucy stepped into the shower and sighed contently. She felt disgusting. She hasn't showered in several days, and she sweated constantly during the first two days. She was extremely tired, too. But she finally got a whole night's sleep last night, and now she was restless. She needed to get out of the apartment, get some fresh air, see her friends. She didn't like staying inside – let alone in one place – for too long. Now don't get her wrong, she loved staying home with her family. Watching Nashi giggle and play with Happy, having Natsu's attention constantly focused on her well-being – she loved it all. But she also loved hanging out with her friends, with her guildmates.

She began to lather up her hair, her nails rubbing and scrapping against her scalp. Over the sound of running water, she could've sworn she heard Nashi. She halted her movements to try and listen, but she didn't hear anything, so she continued the process of washing her hair. She leaned her head back to rinse the shampoo out of her golden locks, but then she heard something again. This time, she was _sure _she heard it, and she was positive it was Nashi's voice. She stuck her head out of the shower. "Natsu?" she called. She waited. The door opened, and her husband peeked his head inside.

"Yeah?" he said, looking at her with curious eyes.

"Is… is everything alright?" she asked slowly, narrowing her eyes slightly. He nodded.

"Yeah, everything's fine." They stared at each other for a moment, but Lucy nodded.

"Alright." With that, she retreated back into the water and resumed her cleansing. She heard the door shut. Maybe she's just hearing things. She _was_ sick, after all. After cleaning her body, she turned the water off and stepped out of the tub. As she reached for her towel, her head snapped to the door.

"_Mama!"_ Her motherly instincts kicking in, Lucy quickly wrapped the plush white towel around her body and shot out the door, ignoring the brief rush of dizziness that followed. Nashi was on the floor, as she was when she went into the bathroom, but she was bawling, her cheeks red and wet with tears. Natsu was sitting off to the side, looking up at her apologetically.

"What happened?" she asked him, kneeling and reaching for her crying child. She asked the same question to her. "What happened, baby?"

"While you were in the shower, she tried to get into your stuff," Natsu explained. "I told her no, and she got mad at me and tried again. I said no again, and then she started crying!" Lucy grinned and turned to Nashi.

"Aw, was Daddy being mean?" she asked, bouncing up and down to soothe her child. Nashi rubbed her eyes and nodded.

"Uh, huh…" she whimpered.

"I wasn't being mean!" Natsu defended, getting to his feet. "All I did was say 'Nashi, no.' It's not like I yelled at her or hit her or anything!" Lucy laughed, lifting a hand to dry her daughter's cheeks.

"Oh, it's alright, honey. Daddy can be a jerk sometimes."

"Lucyyy! I wasn't being mean!"

"So now I'm the favorite parent because he didn't let you do what you wanted?" Nashi nodded curtly.

"Yeah!" she said, leaning her head on her mother's shoulder, her face stuck in a cute pout. Natsu gawked. His _own wife_ wasn't taking his side? How was this fair? He scoffed and folded his arms, sticking out his lip in a pout similar to Nashi's. He wasn't being mean.

"Little brat," Natsu muttered just loud enough for his girls to hear. Nashi stuck his tongue out at him, and he did the same to her. Lucy couldn't help but giggle. Nashi was definitely the child of Natsu Dragneel.

* * *

**Author's Note: whoo! We hit 200 reviews! I'm so happy! I love reading your reviews. Seriously. You guys make me gush like crazy. I love you guys so much. Just like always, leave a review! Let's get to 300!**


	24. Easy to Recognize

Easy to Recognize

* * *

Lucy woke up early in the morning due to the sunlight shining perfectly on her eyes. She groaned, groggily lifting herself up and away from Natsu's chest. She arched her back and held her arms out above her head, stretching her stiff muscles. Sighing as he relaxed, she looked down to see her peacefully sleeping husband. She was so glad he'd grown out of his obnoxious snoring. The only snoring he did now was very quiet, easy to miss. It wasn't even a snore, but a soft rumbling in his chest, almost like a purr. She loved falling asleep on his chest. His purring and the soothing sound of his heartbeat created a very effective – not to mention addictive – lullaby.

The blonde carefully reached a hand out to him, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. Sensing her in his sleep, he leaned into her touch with a soft moan. Lucy smiled, gently grazing the back of her fingers down his cheek. He was just so cute sometimes. She could gaze at that innocently adorable face all day. She started slightly when he reached up to grasp her hand with his own. He opened his eyes into thin slits, his eyelids incredibly heavy with sleep. He chuckled lightly, holding her hand to his face.

"What're you doing, waking me up so early?" he asked softly, his voice slurred. His wife grinned.

"I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Okay, what're _you_ doing up so early?"

"I was just going to make some breakfast." Natsu looked up at her like a sick puppy, his lower lip stuck in a pout.

"You're leaving me?" he whined. Lucy giggled and nodded. "No…" He draped an arm over her waist and pulled her back down. He rested his head on her chest and hugged her tightly around the hips, holding her against the mattress. Lucy laughed and tried to push him off, but he refused to let her go.

"Natsu, let go of me."

"No," he said stubbornly, tightening his hold around her. His eyes drifted closed as his voice fell into a whisper. "Stay with me." The blonde sighed dramatically.

"Fine. But just for thirty more minutes." Natsu grinned triumphantly and snuggled into her breasts. Thirty more minutes was good enough for him. Lucy gazed lovingly at her husband's head with an affectionate smile. He may have gotten older, and his appearance may have matured, but he was still as childish as that seventeen-year-old boy from all those years ago, the boy she had fallen in love with. "Natsu."

"Hm?" he hummed, already half asleep.

"I'm pregnant."

"I know." Lucy furrowed her brows.

"You do? How?" Natsu chuckled and moved his head to rest on her abdomen, taking in a deep breath through his nose. He sighed contently.

"The last time you smelled like this was when you were pregnant with Nashi," he said sleepily, gently burrowing his face into her stomach. "It was five years ago, but this smell… it's easy to recognize." Lucy smiled warmly and placed a hand on his head, weaving her fingers through his hair.

* * *

**A month and a half later, Nashi's fifth birthday**

The guild cheered as Nashi blew out the five candles on the strawberry cake. "Let's eat!" Erza shouted as she slammed a sword into the cake, slicing it perfectly in half. Nashi giggled from Levy's lap, eagerly reaching out for a piece.

"Drinks all around!" Cana exclaimed, and everyone cheered in response. With the twins on his lap, Gray slid two mugs across the table toward Natsu and Lucy. The Dragon Slayer grabbed his and took a sip, while Lucy shook her head from her position on her husband's lap.

"No thanks, Gray," she said, pushing it back to him. "I can't."

"C'mon, Lucy," he pressed as Juvia sat down beside him with his slice of cake. "It's Nashi's birthday. Have a drink."

"Oi, ice princess," Natsu said, earning a glare from Gray and a giggle from the girls. "She _can't._"

The ice alchemist frowned. "Whaddya mean she can't?" Without saying anything, the couple smiled at each other. Natsu rested his chin on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. They looked up at Gray as Natsu's hand began to trace circles on Lucy's stomach. Gray looked down at his hand, then back up to their faces. He flashed his teeth as he grinned. "Are you shitting me?" Lucy laughed and leaned back into her husband, lacing her fingers with his. Beside them, Levy bounced excitedly in her seat with Nashi on her knee.

"You're going to have another child?" she asked happily.

"Mm, hm," hummed the celestial wizard.

"Is it going to be a boy or a girl?" Juvia inquired, transitioning Avalon from Gray's lap to hers. Lucy shrugged.

"We don't know yet."

"It's gonna be a boy," Natsu answered quickly. Lucy looked over her shoulder at him.

"And how do you know?"

He winked. "Father's intuition."

"Mavis help Bunny-girl if the baby is a boy," Gajeel said, taking a swig of his drink. Lucy laughed while Natsu glared.

"What's that supposed to mean, Gajeel?"

"Just look at how you turned out, Salamander. Who would need two of you?" A pair of obsidian eyes narrowed dangerously, and their owner made a move to stand up, but Lucy grabbed his arm and placed a kiss on his cheek. He relaxed instantly.

"I wouldn't mind having a boy," she whispered into his ear. He turned to her, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Really?"

"Of course. We need another man around the house."

"Hey!" Happy chirped, looking up from his fish with a somewhat hurt look in his eyes. "What about me?"

Natsu chuckled, reaching a hand over to scratch his Exceed's ears. "I don't think you count as a 'man,' buddy."

"That's not true! I'm as manly as Elfman!" Charle scoffed, while somewhere else in the room, Elfman sneezed.

"Hardly," she muttered.

"Aw, sure you are, Happy," Lucy said lovingly, reaching across the table to pat his head. The feline pouted. From Levy's lap, Nashi reached over and picked him up, hugging him gently to her chest.

"I think you're a man, Happy," she said, placing a kiss on his head, right between his ears. Happy purred appreciatively, nuzzling under her chin with a content grin on his furry face.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! So… I apologize for the time-skip, but I'm really excited about bringing their second child into the story, and every new idea I had for a chapter had something to do with their second child… Which sucks, because I really wanted to write more about Nashi as a baby… Sigh.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys are as excited to meet Nashi's little sibling as I am! Please leave a review!**


	25. Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree

Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

* * *

"Don't even think about it."

Nashi – in the process of sneaking up on her mother while she was writing, planning to let out a perfectly practiced roar – stopped in her tracks. Her cheeks puffed out, trying to conceal the sound she was about to make. How did she know? The petite girl decided to voice her thoughts. "How did you know it was me, Mama?" she asked, folding her arms against her chest.

"I'm your mother," she answered simply, clicking her pen and setting it down. "I know everything." She turned around to face her daughter, slightly taken aback by her appearance. She was wearing a pair of baggy shorts and a spaghetti-strap tank-top, and there was dirt smeared across her face, arms, and legs. "What have you been doing?" Lucy inquired, observing her up and down. Nashi giggled.

"I thought you knew everything," she retorted. Lucy laughed and lifted her five-year-old daughter into her arms, settling her on her lap.

"You're just like you're father," she sighed. "A little smart mouth."

"Yeah, but you love Daddy. And me, too, right?"

"Yes, I do. Very much. And speaking of your father, he should be home any minute now. Go wash up for dinner."

"Yes, Mama," Nashi sighed, slipping off of Lucy's lap and making her way toward the bathroom. Lucy smiled as she watched her daughter disappear behind the door. She was so cute, so sweet, so funny. But she could be a bit of a sarcastic troublemaker sometimes. And Lucy knew that she would become an amazing wizard when she's older. She would be a strong, brave, smart, clever, determined, loyal warrior one day.

Just like her father.

Nashi was so like Natsu, it was almost uncanny. It would often creep Lucy out when the two of them would say things in unison, or make the same expression. And it happened _a lot_. You would be amazed at how many times they would look at her with the exact same pout, how many times they would say "oi" in perfect unison. It was weird. But what Lucy considered the good thing, was that Nashi wasn't nearly as loud or immature as Natsu. Nashi was polite, relatively quiet, and even at such a young age, she picked up on social cues, something that Natsu rarely ever did.

And although the young Dragon Slayer was like her father in a lot of ways, she was also like her mother. Nashi loved to read – even though she can't do it very well yet – she was decent at cooking – or, rather, helping Lucy in the kitchen – she loved sweets, she liked to stargaze, she wanted to become a writer when she was older, she was good at chess.

And for some reason her parents weren't quite sure of, Nashi was the most excited about Lucy having a baby. She was really looking forward to having a little sibling – it was too early in Lucy's pregnancy to tell the gender. And after all the talk at her birthday party about the baby being a boy, she was really hoping it _was_ a boy. She wanted a baby brother. Although she wouldn't mind having a sister. Because _hello,_ she would have a _sister!_

Lucy snapped out of her thoughts. Like she'd told Nashi, Natsu was going to be back from his mission soon. She needed to make dinner. She was making tonkatsu today. Her belly gave a loud growl at the thought. She placed her novel-in-progress in the drawer and walked into the kitchen, her stomach growling again. She laughed and placed a hand against it. She will be eating for two, again. And Natsu always has seconds, sometimes thirds if there's some left over. Happy would want a fish. She sighed. She's going to have to do a lot of cooking tonight.

She began to fry the pork after rolling it in breadcrumbs, and that's when Nashi pranced into the room, her hair damp from her shower and her tanned skin flawless. "What's for dinner tonight, Mama?" she asked, standing on her tiptoes to see what was happening on the stove.

"Tonkatsu," Lucy answered, getting started on the noodles. Nashi scrunched up her face.

"What's that?"

"Deep fried pork rolled in breadcrumbs. I'm adding some seasoned noodles and vegetables too. And a fish for Happy, of course." Nashi took in a deep breath through her nose, taking in the delicious scents of the food.

"Mm, sounds good. Do you need help with anything, Mama?"

"No, amai. Not tonight." Nashi looked up at her with a pout, and Lucy sighed in defeat. "Alright, why don't you get the table set up, then?" The child beamed.

"Okie dokie!" She turned to do as her mother asked, but stopped short when she saw a certain pink-haired Dragon Slayer climbing through the window. "Daddy's home!" she squealed, running up to him. Lucy looked over her shoulder just in time to see her jump into Natsu's open arms.

"Hey, akachan," he said happily, holding her to his chest. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Daddy." Holding her up with one arm, Natsu walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, Luce."

"Hi, Natsu."

"What smells so good?" he asked, looking over her shoulder at what she was cooking.

"Tonkatsu."

"Sweet. I love coming home." He draped an arm over her shoulders, using his hand to turn her face toward him so he could kiss her. After a few slow, gentle caresses, Nashi gagged, catching her parents' attention. She was staring at them, her eyebrows knitted together and her nose wrinkled in distaste. Natsu snorted. "What's that look for?"

"You guys are being gross." The two wizards laughed, and Lucy eventually shrugged her husband's arm off her shoulder.

"Help Nashi set up the table, would you?" she asked, sending him a glance as she stirred the noodles. "Dinner's almost ready."

"Got it," Natsu said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before setting Nashi down, the two of them making their way for the table.

"Oh, Natsu?"

"Yo."

"I was talking to Juvia the other day, and the two of us set up a play date for Nashi and the twins."

Natsu stilled. "What?"

"Yeah. They haven't hung out very often, and if Nashi and Avalon are going to start dating when they're older—"

"Whoa! Who said _anything_ about my little girl dating Gray's kid?" Natsu exclaimed, whirling around to face his wife, his obsidian eyes wide with surprise.

"—then we're going to have to start their relationship early," Lucy finished, tying to conceal the giggle that threatened to trail up her throat. Natsu has always been pretty iffy about Nashi and Avalon spending time together, in fear that Avalon would "taint his daughter's innocence." Lucy laughed lightly at the memory.

"I don't want to date Avalon!" Nashi said. The novelist turned to face them. The two of them were pouting, arms folded, and leaning their weight on one foot. Lucy shook her head and laughed, turning back to the food.

The apple certainly didn't fall very far from the tree.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! Thank you to jneth1lary88 for the amazing idea. Nashi and the twins' play date will be the next chapter. And I'm so glad to see that all of you are as excited to meet Nashi's unborn sibling. And as a response to Drunkly, who said I should add some intense moments, there will definitely be some intensity in the upcoming chapters. So be on your toes! Don't forget to leave a review!**


	26. Play Date

Play Date

* * *

"I don't like this."

"Oh, come off it, Natsu. Nashi is five and Avalon is four. I don't think you have to worry about them doing anything they shouldn't. Avalon is a sweet boy. If anything, we should worry about Nashi ruining _his_ innocence rather than the other way around."

"He's Gray's son. He may be fine now, but he's gonna be a little shit when he's older."

"Natsu. Stop it."

"Luce… I _really_ don't wanna do this."

Lucy sighed heavily as she rubbed her temples. "Natsu, I am _really_ not in the mood to argue with you today," she hissed, glaring up at him. "So if you do anything to mess this day up, I will cut off your balls with Cancer's scissors, grind them into little pieces, and then shove them up your ass. Am I clear?" Natsu stared down at his wife with wide, surprised eyes. He's never heard such a… _gruesome_ threat come from her mouth. And it was directed toward _him_ of all people. She folded her arms across her chest – which (he noted with a small, slightly pleased, internal smirk) was bigger than usual – and stared up at him with an expectant gaze.

"P-perfectly," he sputtered, taking a step back and turning away, wanting to get out of her line of fire before she decided to hurt him anyway. Lucy dropped her arms and stared after her husband.

"Natsu," she called, walking after him. Natsu stopped at the fridge and looked at her. "I'm sorry. It's just…" She placed both of her hands on her stomach, which was still relatively flat. "My hormones are going rampant." Natsu smiled and shook his head.

"It's alright, Luce," he said, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water.

"You know I wouldn't cut off your balls, right?"

"I hope not…"

* * *

"So, Lucy," Juvia spoke up, sending a glance toward the kids. "Did Wendy tell you what gender baby is?" Lucy looked up from the book she was reading.

"Hm?" she hummed. "Oh!" She marked her spot in her book and set it down, a wide smile stretching across her lips. "Yes, she did. She told us that… it's a boy." Juvia clapped happily.

"Oh, Lucy! That is amazing! Have you and Natsu decided on a name yet?"

Lucy shook her head. "No. When we told Nashi that the baby will be a boy, she said that she wanted to name him. We're still waiting for her. She wants to find the _perfect_ name for him." The two girls laughed, their gazes wandering over to the children as they played on the living room floor of Natsu and Lucy's apartment, their fathers sitting cross-legged on the carpet with them. Lucy giggled lightly as she watched Avalon snatch one of Nashi's toys, resulting in a pout on Nashi's face that mirrored Natsu's almost perfectly.

Avalon was a very sweet, outgoing little boy. He was simply adorable, and he and Nashi got along rather well. He's good at soccer – well, as good as a four-year-old can be – loves to talk, but he is, however, mildly allergic to cats, so he tends to stay away from Happy. Not that he doesn't like Happy, he does, but he would rather stay at a good distance from him than fall into a sneezing fit and have his eyes get all puffy. Avalon was almost the exact opposite of his sister. Amaya was quiet, preferred to stay inside, and was rather shy. She absolutely _adores_ Happy, and she is already best friends with Nashi. They both love to read, and despite her shyness, Amaya was actually quite quirky and sarcastic. She was a lot like Gray in several aspects.

Thankfully, neither of them inherited their father's stripping habit.

What Lucy loved most about Nashi and Amaya's relationship was the fact it was almost nothing like the one between Natsu and Gray. They had opposite magical elements – Nashi being fire, and Amaya being ice – but they got along swimmingly. She could tell that they would grow up to be almost sisters. Smiling contently, the blonde turned back to her book and continued to read until Juvia reached over and touched her arm.

"Lucy, look at this," she said urgently, and you could tell just by listening to her that she had a wide smile among her face. Lucy looked up and followed her friend's gaze, her brown eyes landing on her husband. She couldn't contain the amused laugh when she saw him.

"Why, is the almighty Salamander Natsu wearing a princess crown?" she asked teasingly. Atop his head, sifted into his salmon hair, lay a plastic diamond-studded tiara. He grinned proudly as his chest puffed up slightly.

"Yes, he is, as a matter of fact," he concurred. "How does it look?"

"You look very pretty, Natsu."

"Thank you."

"You should wear it more often. It brings out your eyes."

"You think?"

"Yeah! You should _totally_ wear it on your next mission."

Natsu scoffed, tossing the stuffed bunny that landed in his lap back to his daughter. "I dunno about that…"

* * *

The rest of the night went pretty well. Natsu had managed to keep his cool about his little princess and Gray's kid playing together. There was one incident, though, that nearly gave him a heart attack. The kids were playing house at one point, and for some reason, Nashi and Avalon were the "happily married couple." Hearing them _say_ it wasn't so bad, but watching them hold hands and call each other "dear" or "honey" or other terms of endearment…_ that's_ what really made him freak out. He sent a look at Lucy, silently pleading for her to do something to stop it. But she was too wrapped up in thinking how cute it was. She did, however, send a warning glance his way, reminding him of her threat earlier that day. Juvia thought it was simply cute as well, and Gray seemed pretty much indifferent with the whole thing.

But, while he seemed unbothered by it, he was freaking out on the inside as well. But he'd never admit that to anybody.

"Was that so bad?" Lucy asked, hugging Natsu from behind as he finished brushing his teeth. He chuckled, resting his hand on hers as it rest on his stomach.

"It was mortifying," he answered before rinsing out his mouth. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, squeezing him gently before pulling away.

"Stop being melodramatic, Natsu. You had fun."

"No, I did," he agreed, turning around to face her, leaning back against the sink. "It was just that one part near the end, where they were playing house…" He shuddered.

"You are such a baby. It wasn't that bad. She had fun. Like… _a lot_ of it. She's dead asleep on the couch right now."

Natsu folded his arms. "'Dead asleep,' eh?" he repeated, lifting a quizzical eyebrow. Lucy laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the room.

"I'm serious! Look at her!" They walked into the living room, and sure enough, Nashi was sleeping on the couch, the blanket pulled up to her chin. She was so deep in sleep, you couldn't even see her chest moving as she breathed.

"Wow," Natsu breathed, a small grin tugging at his lips as he approached her. He kneeled down beside the couch, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Nashi," he whispered, giving her shoulder a shake. "Nashi, wake up." The little girl shifted with a soft whine. He grinned mischievously. "Nashi… Wake up, amai…" She groaned in annoyance and turned her head away, leaving her neck open to him. He chuckled and leaned forward, his lips hovering over her skin. He blew a puff of hot breath into the crook of her neck. She flinched and scooted away. He growled playfully, nuzzling his face into her neck. Nashi moaned and placed her small hands on his head, trying to push him away.

"Daddy…" she groaned. "Stop…"

"Come on, amai," he muttered, placing a kiss to her cheek. "Time for bed." She looked at him, her dark brown eyes heavy with the lack of sleep.

"But I'm not tired…" she whimpered.

"I don't believe you. C'mon, get up." She grunted and shook her head. Natsu sighed and slipped his arms beneath her, one around her shoulders and the other under her knees. "Fine, I'll carry you, you lazy butt." He lifted her up off the couch and turned toward her bedroom, catching a glimpse at Lucy as he passed by, who was watching the whole exchange between the two with a fond smile. She subconsciously lifted a hand to her belly.

A boy… They were going to have a boy…

* * *

**Author's Note: hey, guys. Sorry for the long wait, but since school is almost out, I've been really busy lately. I've barely found any time at all for just me. My sister has finally become a grownup and has a job, so I've been driving around everywhere with her, trying to find where she has to be and a place to buy her scrubs. I've also been helping her with her graduation announcements. She's finally graduating medical school! Yay! And we've been having a lot of family coming over and wanting to go places with us. And then I have school, so… yeah. My schedule's been pretty booked as of late. But I am caught up with all of my school work, my sister has everything sorted out, and I've locked myself away in my room for the time being so I can get something done for you guys.**

**I hope this chapter wasn't too bad. It's just… I have a test on Monday, an essay due Tuesday, and a final on Wednesday, so my subconscious is constantly focused on school. I don't know why, though. I know I'm gonna get a good grade on it because I've already taken the class. It's just my math teacher last year didn't like me very much and failed me… Stupid bitch. It wasn't my fault she didn't know how to teach a class… It's because of her that I had to either retake the class or go to summer school. There is no way in hell that I'm going to summer school. Summer is **_**my**_** time, and I'm gonna spend it right.**

**Anyway, sorry for the long wait **_**and**_** the long note. Just thought I should explain myself… And since my mind is focused on school, I hope this chapter wasn't bad. But just like always, please leave a review. Since next week is my last week, I should be able to update quickly.**


	27. Little Monster on the Way

Little Monster on the Way

* * *

"Is she in bed?" Natsu asked, looking at his wife from his position on the bed. Lucy nodded as she approached him.

"Yep," she chirped, sitting down beside him, arranging the pillows behind her to prop her back up. "Tucked in and ready for sleep." She sighed an ran her hand down her stomach, which had gotten bigger over the past two months. Natsu was particularly excited about the baby being a boy. He was steadily getting more and more anxious as her due date neared, as well as waiting for Nashi to pick a name for the kid. Lucy, however, was just anxious to get the child out of her. He was constantly shifting and kicking, and he made it somewhat difficult to sleep at night. When she was pregnant with Nashi, her cravings were very mild. But this time, she wanted to eat the craziest things. She woke up the other morning wanting key lime pie and spaghetti for breakfast.

Natsu laid down next to her, holding his weight up on his elbow. He grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it up. He rested his head in his hand, splaying his other palm on her stomach. "What if he turns out to be a monster?" Lucy asked suddenly, watching as Natsu began to draw nonsensical patterns on her bloated tummy with his finger. He looked up at her.

"Our son?" he asked, tracing circles around her bellybutton. She nodded. He chuckled. "He won't be a monster."

"Oh, I know he'll be a monster. He never sits still. And he is _your_ son, after all." The Dragon Slayer laughed and flattened his palm against her belly, feeling an intense surge of affection swell in his chest as he felt his unborn son – he was going to have a son! – kick against his hand.

"But Nashi's my daughter," he retorted, peeking up at her with a smirk. "She turned out alright." Lucy giggled.

"We got lucky with her. But…" She trailed off, placing her hand on top of Natsu's. "…this one's going to be a boy. And I know he'll turn out to be just like you." Natsu felt his stomach churn with excitement at her words, and an uncontrollable grin spread across his face. "And the last thing I need is a miniature Natsu running around the house."

"Well, you somehow managed with me. I'm sure you'll figure out a way to make it work. Besides, I think I speak for the both of us when I say we'll love him no matter what, even if he does turn out to be a demon." Lucy laughed as her husband pushed himself up, leaning in to give her a kiss. Her heart fluttered in her chest, ultimately resulting in intense kicking from her baby.

"Ah," she gasped, pulling away from him and leaning her head back against the pillows. She hissed through her teeth. "Oh… Yeah, he will _definitely_ be a monster," she grit out, lightly squeezing Natsu's hand. He chuckled and moved his free hand to rest on her belly, moving down to press a kiss directly above her naval. Instantly, the baby stopped kicking, causing Lucy to sigh in relief. She lifted her hand and gently sifted her fingers through his hair. "Thank you." He smiled at her.

"Mama! Daddy!" Nashi called as she ran into the room, her pink hair tousled slightly.

"Nashi, why aren't you in bed?" Lucy asked firmly.

"I just thought of the perfect name!" she squealed, bouncing lightly where she stood.

"Well, don't leave us hanging, then," said Natsu, gesturing for her to continue. "Tell us."

"Ryū!" There was a short silence as they two wizards thought it over. Ryū, the dragon spirit. They turned to each other.

"I love it," Lucy said slowly.

"Ryū Dragneel," Natsu tested out, his hand subconsciously rubbing his wife's belly. His fangs gleamed. "Perfect."

"I'm so excited!" Nashi exclaimed before practically prancing back to her room. Lucy's eyes never wavered from her husband's.

"Me too," she said softly. Natsu grinned brilliantly before positioning himself to lay beside her, resting his head on her chest as his hand continued to stroke her tummy. Lucy smirked, an idea popping into her head. "So, Natsu?"

"Huh?"

"Are you going to try the breast milk this time?" she asked teasingly, threading her fingers through his hair. He scoffed.

"_Hell_, no," he said slowly yet sharply, wanting to get his point across. "I mean, I'm all for testing it on my arm or whatever, but there is _no way_ I'm ever going to put your boob milk in my mouth."

"But Natsuuuuu…" she whined. "Juvia told me that Gray tried it once. Why won't you do it?"

"Ew, seriously? Gray really did that? Ugh, he really is a perv."

"Why does that make him a pervert?"

"Drinking the milk out of his wife's boobs? That's just… _weird._"

"He said it wasn't bad. It tasted sweet to him. Come on, Natsu. It's not like I'm asking you to drink it as much as Ryū will, but just try it!"

Natsu shook his head and laughed, pushing himself up to make eye contact with her. "Lucy, the answer is still no. I find it strange that you want me to drink out of your boobs so badly." Lucy pouted and folded her arms.

"I was just trying to embarrass you like the last time…" she said hotly, sticking out her lower lip like a child. "You were so cute, stumbling on your words and trying to hide your blushing face." It was Natsu's turn to pout.

"Aw… you don't think I'm cute now?" Lucy tried to stifle a smirk and lightly bopped him on the head. He chuckled. "Anyway, I think Ryū is going to be cuter to embarrass than me, don't you think?" Lucy giggled and nodded.

"Yes, I suppose so." She draped her hand over Natsu's. "If he does turn out to be a monster, I'm pretty sure he'll be just as innocent as you. Besides, training a little dragon might be a little fun. I've always liked a challenge. Why do you think I went for _you_ of all people?" The Dragon Slayer rolled his eyes and scoffed, a small, playful grin tugging on his lips.

"Well, if that's the case," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

**Author's Note: ugh, I don't know what has been up with me lately. It seems like this last week has sucked out my creative writing ability. I've been having **_**terrible**_** writer's block as of late, so again, I apologize for the poor quality. But despite that, we now know the name of their son. And I hope the ending gives you a little… foreshadowing on what's to come in the upcoming chapters. Anyway, please leave a review. I love your reviews so much.**


	28. Complications

Complications

* * *

"Daddy."

No response.

"Daddy…"

Silence.

"_Daddy, wake up!"_ Nashi whispered harshly, giving her father a rough shake of the shoulder. Natsu groaned sleepily, wriggling uncomfortably on the mattress. His eyes peeled open into thin slits. The room was dark, and he could see the moon as he glanced out the window. He angled his head to look at the clock on the nightstand beside the bed. It was 3:02 in the morning. He closed his eyes and let his head fall into the pillow, a weak sigh passing through his lips.

"What is it, Nashi?" he asked quietly, his voice lightly slurred. "What're you doing up so late?"

"I got up to go to the bathroom," she explained softly, brushing her untidy hair behind her ear. "But I heard a strange noise coming from the kitchen." Natsu peeked at her with one eye.

"Strange how?" he grumbled. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I dunno. Kinda like someone was going through the cabinets." Letting his eyelid slip shut, he blindly reached his hand to the other side of the bed, feeling around. Feeling no other presence, he shook his head.

"It was probably Mama just getting a glass of water," he decided. He jumped up to a sitting position when he heard glass shattering in the other room. Nashi had whirled around at the sound as well, the noise catching her off guard completely. Natsu leapt from the bed and ran toward the kitchen, suddenly wide awake and alert. He flipped the switch, turning on the light. Lucy, on the other side of the room, squinted her eyes at the sudden brightness. She was completely fine, void of any pain at all, and she was standing beside a pile of broken glass.

"Luce?" Natsu asked frantically, stepping up to her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, Natsu, I'm fine," she snapped, rubbing her eyes.

He relaxed slightly. "What happened?"

"I was getting a glass of water and I tripped over my own feet. The glass slipped from my hand."

"You tripped? Did you fall?" He was growing a little anxious, his eyes darting down to her bloated belly. She was nearing her due date. She laughed lightly and shook her head.

"Relax, Natsu. I managed to catch myself before falling." The Dragon Slayer sighed in relief and leaned against the wall, his eyes falling to the glass on the floor. He started slightly when Happy landed on his shoulder.

"What happened?" he inquired groggily.

"Uh, nothing serious, Happy," Natsu said quickly. "Could you get me the broom and dustpan, little buddy?" The feline nodded sleepily and floated out of the room and over Nashi's head, who was standing in the door frame. Natsu reached out a hand and ruffled her hair. "Go back to bed, amai." Nashi yawned and nodded, turning to leave.

"Okay… Goodnight, Mama."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Happy," Natsu said, taking the broom and dustpan. "You go back to bed, too." He moved over to start cleaning up the glass, while Lucy waddled over to the refrigerator, one hand resting on her tummy.

"Ugh, I am so hungry," she mumbled, rummaging through the fridge.

"Cravings again?" her husband asked from across the room.

"Yeah."

"What are they this time?"

"Chili peppers and spray cheese."

"Gross."

"I know."

"Why would you want to eat something like that so badly? And in the middle of the night, for that matter."

"I don't know, Natsu. Maybe because I'm pregnant?"

Natsu chuckled as he emptied the dustpan into the trash. "Geez, you're so snappy and touchy when you're pregnant," he stated teasingly. Lucy sighed as she closed the fridge – they didn't have chili peppers or spray cheese – and she turned to her husband.

"I'm sorry, Natsu," she said. "I'm just really tired. Ryū's been such a pain lately. He really likes to toss and turn when I try to go to sleep." She clicked her tongue in annoyance. Although, her hand began to trace loving circles on her stomach. Natsu leaned against the counter, a pang of sympathy swelling in his chest. And a little bit of guilt. He slept like a baby most nights, while she, on the other hand, has to deal with a thrashing kid inside of her. Something told him that she was ready to get that child out. He made a mental note to take care of all the late-night feeding and changing once Ryū was born, for her sake. It was only fair.

"Come on, babe," he said softly, nodding his head toward their bedroom. "Let's go back to bed." She nodded her head and left the kitchen, Natsu following close behind and turning the light off on his way out. Lucy stopped in front of the bed and turned to look at Natsu. He lifted an eyebrow. "What?"

"Natsu… do I look fat to you?" she asked abruptly, looking down at her body.

"Er… is that a rhetorical question?" Lucy sighed and folded her arms, sending a glare his way. Natsu snorted. "You're pregnant, Luce. It's only natural for you to get bigger. Don't you remember being pregnant with Nashi?"

"You're such a smartass."

* * *

"Erza?"

"Yes?"

"What's that?"

"What's what?"

"_That."_

"Oh. It's a ring, of course."

"An _engagement_ ring?"

"…Perhaps."

Lucy squealed in delight as she reached for Erza's hand to get a better look at the silver band on her finger. It was simple, but still beautiful. It kind of resembled the one on Lucy's finger. "It's gorgeous, Erza," she praised, giggling like a schoolgirl. "When's the wedding?" She looked back up at the swordswoman, who had a pretty pink blush on her cheeks.

"Um… we don't know yet," she answered slowly, taking a bite of her strawberry cake.

"Oh, I _knew_ Jellal was going to propose soon!" Lucy squealed. "Whenever he came to visit the guild, you just see he was nervous. Natsu acted that way for a week before asking me out, and Gray was the same before asking Juvia to marry h—oh." She cut off, a hand falling down to cradle her stomach. Erza looked up at her, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"Lucy?" she said. "What's wrong?"

"I think my water broke…"

* * *

Natsu sighed as he continued his trek toward the train station. All he had to do was go to Hosenka, catch that thief, claim his reward, and then head back. Lucy was close to her due date. He didn't want to miss his son being born. They were running low on rent money, so might as well do an easy job that should only take thirty minutes. He folded his arms. He really wasn't looking forward to that train ride…

"_Natsu!"_ The Dragon Slayer lifted a brow. That sounded like Happy… "_Natsuuuuuu!"_ He looked over his shoulder to see his Exceed flying toward him at top speed.

"Happy?" he said, turning to face the feline. "What's up?"

"Natsu, come quick!" Happy exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Lucy's in labor!" Without saying anything else, Natsu broke into a sprint.

* * *

"Mira!" Natsu cried as he slid to a stop in the medical corridor. His face was flushed lightly from his mad dash, and his chest was heaving. The barmaid spun around to face him, and Nashi leapt up from one of the seats.

"Daddy!" she called as she wrapped her arms around his leg. He ruffled her hair and looked up at Mirajane.

"Where is she?" he asked breathlessly. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine, Natsu," Mira reassured. "She's in there. Wendy and Porlyusica just started helping with the delivery." The Salamander exhaled with relief, shooting a glance to the door Mirajane indicated. She sent him an exasperated look. "What're you waiting for, Natsu? She needs you! Get in there!"

"Ah!" Without hesitation, he moved for the door. "Nashi, stay with Aunt Mira and Happy." Before his daughter could protest, he opened the door and disappeared behind it. Across the room was Lucy, panting and gripping the sheets at her sides, her eyes screwed shut. "Lucy!" The blonde looked up and smiled weakly.

"Natsu…" she breathed, holding out her hand. He took it and kissed her temple.

"I'm here…"

"Happy caught you…"

"Just outside of the train station." The two of them laughed, but Lucy's laugh was cut short as enough contraction began. Her grip on his hand tightened considerably, almost enough to make him wince. Wendy looked up at him.

"Hi, Natsu-san," she said hurriedly, and Natsu nodded in response. She turned to Lucy. "Are you ready, Lucy-san?" The celestial wizard whimpered and nodded, her knuckles going white. The smaller Dragon Slayer nodded curtly before glancing at the old woman, who nodded as well and told Lucy to push. She did so, her torso lurching forward and off of the reclined pillows. Her hold on Natsu's hand tightened even more. He bit his tongue to hold back a groan. He'd always known Lucy was strong, but _damn_. It felt as if she was going to break his hand. However, he was in absolutely no position to talk about pain at the moment.

After what seemed like an hour for Lucy, Wendy said for her to stop. She leaned back, her hand loosening around Natsu's – however minutely – and her chest heaving as she took in gasps through gritted teeth, tears pouring down her cheeks. Her bangs were plastered to her forehead with sweat. "Push, Lucy-san." Again, she did as told. She had to admit, it was so much better doing this with Natsu there with her. She was scared when she was giving birth to Nashi. But having him beside her, holding her hand, kissing her cheek, and whispering encouraging words into her ear – it made it much easier.

"You're doing good, Luce," he murmured, placing a chaste kiss to her forehead. Wendy told her to relax again, and she peeled her brown eyes open to look at him. He smiled gently.

"I love you, Natsu," she said quickly. His smile broadened.

"I love you too." He leaned down and pecked her lips.

"You're almost done, Lucy-san," Wendy said, glancing up at her with a grin.

"You hear that, Luce?" Natsu asked softly. "Just a little bit more. Keep it up." It took a few more minutes, but Porlyusica finally held up the baby. Natsu felt his heart swell. He was beautiful… Granted, he was bloody and crying, but still beautiful. It was his son. He felt his chest swell even more. He had a son… He nudged his wife. "Lucy… look." He glanced down at her, and he felt his blood run cold. Her head was leaning back and her eyes were closed, and he realized at that moment that her hand had slackened to the point of being limp. "Luce...?"

She was unconscious.

"She's losing too much blood," said Porlyusica. She turned to Wendy. "Get him out of here." The sky sorceress nodded and approached Natsu, gently but firmly grabbing his arm.

"Natsu-san, you have to leave," she stated, pulling him toward the door.

"No…" he protested weakly, his eyes locked on his wife.

"Natsu-san, please." She opened the door and pulled him out. Nashi stood up.

"Daddy?"

"Mira-san," said Wendy urgently, waving her inside. The she-demon ran inside.

"Wendy… what…" Natsu said slowly, taking a step toward the door. The younger Dragon Slayer stepped in front of him and placed a hand on his chest.

"Stay here."

"But Lucy—"

"I'm sorry, Natsu-san."

* * *

**Author's Note: Ne, mina! So… I am officially finished with my freshman year of high school. It feels so good, you don't even know. Hopefully I will continue my story **_**Spellbound**_**, and my best friend and I are planning on writing a story together. It's my first attempt at a GrUvia story, and her first attempt at a Fairy Tail story. I'm pretty sure it will turn out alright, decently at least. I've been told that I'm a good writer, and I know for a fact that Aylin is an amazing writer. And in the middle of all of that, I will be updating this story more often. I am going back to my hometown in Utah next month, and sometime in August. I am **_**really**_** excited about that. It's been too long, and, honestly, I've been a little homesick as of late.**

…**I lied. I've been **_**extremely**_** homesick as of late. I miss the mountains, my friends, my dad, the crappy weather. It's too nice in California. I miss the bipolar weather where it's one hundred degrees one day and then snowing the next. What are your plans for the summer?**

**How'd you guys like that cliffhanger, eh? Leave a review, please!**


	29. Be Strong

Be Strong

* * *

Don't do it…

Don't do it…

Please don't do it…

_Dammit!_

Natsu harshly wiped the tear away from his cheek. He didn't want to cry. Everything was going to be okay. There was no reason for him to cry. Lucy's a trooper. She's been through so much more than this. Giving birth should be nothing for her. So _why_ did he feel so scared? He didn't want to lose her. He _couldn't_ lose her. She's his whole world. If her lost her, he didn't know what he would do…

_She's losing too much blood… I'm sorry, Natsu-san…_

Another tear ran down his cheek. He growled and rubbed it away. _Don't do it,_ he said to himself. _Lucy's gonna be fine. Don't cry in front of Nashi. She's nervous enough as it is._ Natsu stole a glance at his daughter. She was sitting beside him, her hands fidgeting in her lap. Clenching, unclenching, her fingers messing with the hem of her dress, tapping together, clenching, unclenching. She was worried. She always got twitchy with her hands when she was worried. He'd seen it several times when Lucy didn't come home from a mission when she said she was supposed to. Nashi would sit on the couch, and do exactly what she was doing right now.

Coil her hands into fists, relax them, pick at the seams of her clothes, tap her fingers together, and then repeat. She wouldn't talk, she wouldn't show any emotion. Just sit there, fidgeting. Natsu sighed and turned his head away, hanging it over his lap. His knee was bouncing with impatience, and his fingers were knitted together, his thumbs fiddling against each other. He scoffed lightly. Guess he figured out where Nashi's fidgeting came from. He closed his eyes tight, trying desperately to hold back the tears. The action made his eyes burn.

They've been waiting for an hour. A long, _agonizing_ hour. At first, Natsu had barely moved a muscle. The shock and confusion had been so overwhelming that his body just shut down. Everything went silent, everything was a blur. But now, he couldn't sit still, the shock replaced with panic and fear. No – it was more like terror. He couldn't stop moving. His knees were bouncing, his hands didn't stay in the same place for longer than a couple of seconds, he kept shifting in his seat, and his eyes were constantly drifting to the clock on the wall. It would feel like they'd been sitting there forever, but when he would look at the clock the next time, it would only be three minutes later. It was the longest hour of his life.

And there was _still_ no news.

The tears were really persistent, much to his chagrin. He could feel them biting at his eyelids, and it stung, making it hard to ignore. They wanted to reach the surface, he knew, but he wouldn't let them. He _couldn't_ let them. But they did, squeezing through and running down his face. But this time, he made no move to wipe them away.

He jumped lightly when he felt something touch his hand. He looked up to see Nashi staring intently at him, her small hand grasping his. "It's okay, Daddy," she said softly, squeezing his hand. "Mama will be alright." Natsu smiled gently at her words and nodded, his vision obscuring briefly as his eyes were filled to the brim with more tears. Nashi reached forward and grabbed his scarf, using it to dry his eyes. "Don't cry, Daddy. Be strong for Mama." After she finished drying his eyes, she crawled onto his lap and wrapped her thin arms around his neck. Natsu swallowed hard. How was she so calm?

He slowly lifted his arms to return the hug, trying with all his might to keep himself from crying. _Don't do it… Don't do it…_ Again, a tear cascaded down his cheek without his consent. But, again, he made no move to wipe it away. He tightened his hold around his daughter, pressing her to his chest. He never knew he could love someone like this. His girls were precious to him, and he couldn't bear to lose one. What would he be without Lucy? More tears flowed from his eyes, his arms tightening even more around Nashi. He rested his head on her shoulder and sniffled, nuzzling into her hair.

"Daddy…" Nashi whispered, burrowing her face into the crook of his neck. Her voice cracked. "Please don't cry."

"I'm sorry," he muttered, finally wiping his eyes. He glanced up at the clock on the wall. 9:24 PM, just four minutes from the last he looked. _Please…_ he begged. _Please let her be okay._ Three minutes later, the door opened and Mirajane stepped out. She didn't say anything to Natsu as she ran passed him, but he didn't miss the look on her face. Wendy came out next. Natsu stood up, holding Nashi up with one arm. "Is she okay?" he asked softly, his heart pounding beneath his chest. Wendy smiled.

"She's fine, Natsu-san," she assured. Natsu sighed and fell back down onto the chair.

"Thank Mavis…" he said under his breath.

"She's asleep," the girl continued, "but she's alright." Nashi looked up at her.

"What about my brother?" she asked quickly. "Is Ryū okay?"

Wendy nodded. "He's as healthy as can be. And I'm pretty sure you both want to meet him." Nashi leapt from her father's lap, a blinding grin set upon her face. Natsu followed close behind, an identical smile on his lips. As soon as he stepped into the room, Porlyusica carefully handed the baby to him.

"Here you are," she said. She gestured to Lucy, who was reclining on the bed at the other side of the room, sleeping. "Don't let her do anything strenuous for the next couple of days. Make sure she gets a lot of rest and drinks plenty of water." Natsu nodded.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Take care of him," Porlyusica said, pointing to the child in the Dragon Slayer's arms.

"Of course."

"I shall be leaving now," she declared, brushing passed him and toward the door.

"Thank you, Porlyusica," he said before she could leave. "For saving her." The old woman stopped and looked at him from over her shoulder. She nodded wordlessly, and left. Natsu grinned and looked down at his son, wrapped in a blanket and asleep in his arms. He had pink hair among his head as well, although his wasn't as vivid as Nashi's. He walked over to sit in the chair beside Lucy's bed, allowing Nashi to get a look at her brother's face. She leaned over the armrest and tilted her head.

"Is that him?" she asked cutely.

"Yup," he answered quietly, so as not to wake up Lucy. Nashi's lips curled into a half smile.

"He's so _small_."

Natsu chuckled. "He's bigger than you were."

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "_Really?_ I was _smaller_ than him?"

He nodded. "You were tiny." He looked her over, and reached a hand out to tousle her hair. "You still are." The little girl pouted and yawned. He smiled and cupped her cheek. "Get some sleep, amai," he whispered. "It's been a long day." He looked at the clock. 9:32 PM. "It's passed your bedtime, too." Nashi nodded and rubbed her eyes. She pushed herself onto her toes and placed a kiss to her father's cheek.

"Goodnight, Daddy."

"Night, kiddo."

The girl bent over and gently kissed Ryū's forehead. "Goodnight, otōto-chan." She crawled onto Lucy's bed to kiss her cheek as well. "Goodnight, Mama." She slipped beneath the blanket and pulled it up to her chin, resting her head on Lucy's chest. Within seconds, she was asleep. Natsu smiled warmly and switched his attention to Ryū. He truly was a beauty, even more so when not covered in blood and crying his eyes out. He looked back at Lucy, adjusting Ryū's weight so he could reach over and grab her hand, giving it a light squeeze.

"You did good, Luce," he said softly. "Again." Subconsciously, his hand trailed up to her wrist, his fingers pressing down to feel for a pulse. _Her heart was beating._ His eyes wandered to her chest, which was steadily rising and falling. _She was breathing._ She was _alive._ And the fact made a tear of relief spill from his eye. He scoffed and wiped it away. "Look at what you do to me, Lucy," he said softly, his fangs poking his bottom lip as he smiled. "You're turning me to mush." He paused. A gentle laugh found its way up his throat as he shook his head. "What would Igneel say if he saw me like this? He'd never let me live this down." He continued to chuckle, looking down at the boy in his arms.

Ryū shifted in his sleep, gurgling as he instinctively moved closer to his father's chest. Natsu grinned, using his free hand to adjust the blanket around him, gently grazing his fingers down his chubby baby cheeks. "Hopefully you'll be able to meet Grandpa Igneel one day, little buddy," he whispered, stroking the boy's head. The grin gradually fell from his face, and his voice dropped to an even quieter tone. "One day…"

* * *

Lucy sighed when she realized she was awake, but opted to keep her eyes closed. She just felt too comfortable. She shifted slightly, and she noticed the presence at her side. Finally deciding to peel her eyes open, she glanced down and saw Nashi sleeping peacefully beside her, her head resting on her chest. She smiled and lifted her hand, brushing stray strands of hair out of her daughter's tanned face. She looked over to the other side and saw Natsu sitting in a chair beside her bed, his forearms shrouding his face as his head lay on the mattress, his shoulders rising and falling with his steady breathing. And behind him was a glass case, and in that glass case lay a baby, blissfully asleep and wrapped up in a blue blanket.

"Ryū…" she breathed, seeing the pink hair on his head. Her son… She was looking at _her son_. A goofy smile graced her features when she noticed Happy curled up beside Ryū, asleep as well. Her chocolate eyes drifted down to Natsu as he shifted in his sleep, a soft moan escaping his lips. She giggled and placed her hand on his head, sifting her fingers into his hair. He woke instantly, lifting his head with a small gasp of surprise. Her looked up at her, his charcoal eyes wide and alert. They softened the instant they connected with hers.

"Luce…" he muttered. She smiled.

"Hey, you," she cooed, stroking his hair. Before she could say anything else, Natsu was on his feet and leaning over her, kissing her hard. He pulled away, leaning his forehead against hers.

"_Never_ scare me like that again," he demanded gently. "Understand?" Lucy laughed and arched her neck, pressing her lips to his.

"Completely."

"Good." Lucy pulled away, reaching her hands out toward Ryū.

"Let me hold my baby," she said. Natsu laughed lightly and carefully lifted the boy up into his arms, handing him to her. "Hey, Natsu?" she said, smiling lovingly at the still sleeping child.

"Hm?"

"On a scale of one to ten, how scared were you that I was going to die?"

"Hm… a four," he answered casually. Lucy looked up at him.

"A four?" she repeated, incredulous. He nodded. "A _four?_"

"Yup."

"I don't believe you."

"He's lying," said Happy, rubbing his eyes with his blue paw. He yawned. "He was at least an eight." The Dragon Slayer scoffed and folded his arms.

"Nuh uh," he retorted childishly. Happy rolled his eyes.

"You were _crying_, Natsu."

"No, I wasn't."

"It's true," Nashi piped up, her eyes still closed as she adjusted her head onto Lucy's shoulder. "He_ was_ crying." Natsu's jaw slackened. His _whole_ family was going against him? This isn't fair… Lucy laughed at his expression, leaning down to press a kiss to Ryū's forehead.

* * *

**Author's Note: of course Lucy's alright! I wouldn't kill her! I would feel bad… Thank you guys **_**so**_** much for reviewing! I'm glad you guys enjoyed last chapter's cliffhanger. I loved reading all of your freakouts. But you can rest calmly now, knowing our beloved Lucy Heartfilia is alright.**

**Keep the reviews coming! We're almost at 300!**


	30. Praise the Father Sun and Sister Moon

Praise the Father Sun and Sister Moon

* * *

The wind gently tapped against the glass of the window, the moon shining through the thin curtains and into the room. Natsu and Lucy slept peacefully through the night, both of them utterly exhausted from their latest job. They were so deep in sleep, the only sound in the room was Natsu's light purring as he snuggled closely to his wife. His head rested on her shoulder as she lay on her back, his arm draped over her stomach and his legs tangled with her own. There was no disturbance all through the night. Until…

"Daddy," Nashi whispered, poking his back. He stirred, but didn't wake. Nashi huffed impatiently, reaching over him and nudging Lucy instead. "Mama." She had more success this time. Lucy turned her head and moaned, lifting a hand to her face to rub her eyes.

"What is it, baby?" she asked groggily.

Nashi yawned. "Otōto-chan is crying again…" The blonde sighed wearily. She and Natsu were so tired they didn't even hear Ryū's cries. She lightly slapped her husband's head.

"Natsu." He didn't budge. She bounced her shoulder and tried again. "Natsu." Still nothing. Groaning with frustration, she slipped out from under him, moving to the other side of the bed. This was an instant problem for him. He growled, his eyebrows knitting together as he slid his hand across the mattress, blindly searching for his human body pillow.

"Lucyyyy…" he whined when he couldn't find her, his eyes still closed.

"Natsu," she said again, shivering at the lack of warmth.

"What?" he snapped bitterly.

"Ryū's crying." There was silence for a moment. Natsu sighed when he finally heard his son.

"So he is…" The sleepy Dragon Slayer pried his eyes open, reluctantly turning onto his back and sitting up. He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, ruffling it even more. He slid out from under the covers and staggered to his feet, padding lazily across the room, Nashi following close behind. Natsu yawned like a lion as he stepped into his kids' room, approaching his son's crib. There he was, flailing around with the blanket pushed aside and a disgruntled-looking Happy curled up beside him, his paws flattening his ears against his head. Natsu reached in and rubbed the feline's head, muttering a small "Sorry, buddy." over the child's sobs.

"Shh…" he cooed softly as he hoisted Ryū into his arms. "What's the matter, buddy?" He, of course, received no answer. He didn't smell anything. Ryū hadn't soiled himself in his sleep. Then what was it? "Are you hungry?" He turned to leave the room, tousling Nashi's hair as he passed by.

"You two go back to sleep, alright?" he said, referring to his daughter and Happy. Nashi nodded and climbed back into her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.

"Aye…" Happy muttered sleepily as Natsu closed the door. He carried the bawling baby into the kitchen, snatching his bottle off the counter. Ryū greedily took it into his mouth and began chugging it down. The wizard yawned again, shaking his head to try and wake himself up. He lightly bounced up and down while rocking from side to side, a method Lucy taught him when Nashi was an infant. And it usually worked; but at the moment, it felt like he was rocking himself to sleep. Within a minute or two, the boy had gulped down the milk to the very last drop, but when Natsu pulled the bottle away and set it down, he continued to cry his eyes out. Out of habit, he lifted his child to his shoulder and pat his back, his eyes involuntarily rolling into the back of his head.

Once Ryū finished burping, he wailed particularly loud in his father's ear. He cringed. That seemed to happen a lot to him. Groaning, he lowered him back to cradle him against his chest. He wiped away his son's tears. "_What is it, Ryū?_" he asked desperately. He angled his head to get a look inside the boy's mouth, but quickly straightened up and shook his head. "Nah, you can't be teething. You're barely a month old…" He stroked the fine hair on his head. "What do you need, musuko?"

"Natsu." The said wizard nearly jumped out of his skin, his eyes snapping upward to connect with Lucy's across the room. She was in her silk black and white nightgown—the one that liked to hug her curves, ending with a lace trim mid-thigh—her eyes looking just as heavy as his felt as she leaned against the doorframe. She nodded toward their bedroom. "Bring him to our room," she said softly. Without another word, she turned the corner and disappeared. Natsu was quick to follow her, watching as she sat down cross-legged on the mattress. She waved him over, holding out her arms. "Lemme hold him." He nodded without any questions, sitting down beside her.

"I already fed him," he sighed, leaning against the headboard. "And I burped him, too. But he won't stop crying." He watched as she ran the back of her fingers down the baby's cheek, shushing him gently. "What do you plan to do?"

"Sing to him," she answered. Natsu straightened slightly. She used to sing to Nashi when she was a baby, and it almost always got her to go to sleep. Lucy smirked at him. "I know you don't like my singing, but—"

"I love your singing, Luce…"

"—I don't see any other way to get him to calm down." Natsu nodded, waiting for her to start. She never sang the same song twice, so he was excited to see what the song would be.

_Praise for the high tide,  
praise for the seaside,  
praise for the sun at high noon.  
Praise for the lightning,  
praise for the singing,  
praise the father sun,  
and sister moon._

Natsu blissfully closed his eyes. He'd never heard that song before.

_Praise for the red dawn,  
grass that we walk upon,  
praise for the river's whispered tune.  
Praise for the wind brother,  
praise for the earth mother,  
praise the father sun,  
and sister moon.  
Praise the father sun,  
and sister moon._

Ryū's cries had stopped.

_Hey-ya, hey-ya, hey-ya.  
Hey-ya, hey-ya, hey-ya._

"I've never heard that song before," Natsu said quietly, so as not to wake his now peacefully sleeping child.

"It was a song my mother used to sing to me," Lucy explained, adjusting the shirt on her son. "She told me it got me to sleep every time." She smiled. "I guess it works on him, too." The two of them laughed as she slid off the mattress, going to put him back in his and Nashi's room. When she came back, Natsu was already under the covers and asleep. She giggled and shook her head. "It even works on Natsu… Go figure."

* * *

**Author's Note: bah. That's all I have to say about this chapter. Long breaks between updates (hehehe. I made a rhyme!) does not work for me… I hope this chapter wasn't too bad, though. Perhaps I'll rewrite it... And that song was something my mother used to sing to me when I was little. It's from a movie or something, but I can't remember what. But I remember the lyrics…**

**Anyway, congratulations to Miho for being the 300****th**** reviewer! You guys are so awesome! 400, here we come! Oh, and take a look at my next story, **_**Shadows in the Sun,**_** if you haven't already. It's gonna be a good one! I promise!**


	31. Dragon Birthday

Dragon Birthday

**Author's Note: so… before I talk about the chapter, I need to ask you guys something: AM I THE ONLY ONE HURTING OVER WHAT HAPPENED TO GRAY IN THE LAST CHAPTER? Seriously, though. I **_**was not**_** expecting that. He was just about to tell Juvia something too! What was he going to say?!**

**Ahem. Anyway, sorry for the long wait. We've had company over the past week and a half, and my friend Patrick decided to drag me everywhere in San Diego. We went to Balboa Park and had a **_**blast!**_** That place is amazing! And then we went to Point Loma to see the tide pools. Ugh, it was so much fun. He went back to Salt Lake the other day… :'( I miss Patty-Watty… But never mind that. I hope I did Natsu's birthday justice. I'm not quite sure when his birthday is; I don't think it was ever mentioned in the series. But just go with it, alright? Don't forget to leave a review! With the way you guys are reviewing, we are well on our way to 400. Love you guys!**

* * *

"Just like that… That's it… There. See? It's easy!" Lucy high-fived Nashi with a bright smile after the little girl finished pouring the pancake mix into the pan. Nashi giggled jubilantly as she hopped off the stool and picked it up to set it aside, allowing Lucy to step in front of the stove to tend to the cooking pancake. "Thanks for helping me, sweetheart," Lucy said as she adjusted the heat on the burner.

"You're welcome, Mama," Nashi replied sweetly, using the stool to lift herself onto the counter, getting a bird's eye view of the breakfast Lucy was making. "But why did we have to get up so early? It's seven forty-five."

"We have to make all of this food before your father wakes up," Lucy explained quickly as she shifted the eggs in the adjacent burner. "He got home from a mission last night, so he's tired and bound to sleep in. But even despite his laziness, he never sleeps passed eight thirty by more than an hour." She glanced at the clock. "It should be done in a few minutes. He should still be asleep by that time."

Today was Natsu's twenty-ninth birthday, and Lucy wanted to make him a big surprise breakfast to start the day off. Wendy told her that Romeo was taking her to the Magnolia Fair that day, so she decided to take Natsu and the kids there as well, so the little Dragon Slayer could cast Troia on him. And then they would eat dinner at the guild with all of his friends. Lucy was really excited to see his face when he walked into the kitchen that morning. It wasn't very often that she made a big breakfast like this, normally just sticking to pancakes and eggs and occasionally bacon. But today, she made pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, hash browns, the whole shebang. And she was nearly done with the finishing touches.

"Nashi, go wake him up," she said, knowing that by the time Natsu actually got out of bed, the food would be ready.

"Aye!" she chirped, running to her parents' room with excitement. She quietly opened the door and peeked inside, giggling at the sight of her father sprawled on the bed. He was lying on his stomach, his arms folded under his pillow so his head could rest comfortably, the blanket draped over his waist, leaving his back exposed. His hair was tousled messily, falling over his face in clumps. The blanket was tangled around his legs, showing how much he'd been tossing and turning. He slept well through the night, until he realized that Lucy was no longer in the bed with him. Sleeping alone made him feel insecure. Having Lucy there, or even Happy made him feel at ease, safe in a sense.

Nashi tiptoed over to his bed and crawled onto the mattress beside him. She gently touched his shoulder and gave him a light shake. "Daddy," she whispered. He didn't move. "Daaaaaddyyy…" He still didn't budge. She huffed and straddled his back, leaning forward to grasp his shoulders. She bounced. "Daddy. Wake up." She saw his eyebrows furrow in discomfort as he groaned. She laughed. "Come _on_, Daddy! Get up!" There a small grin on his face – which she barely caught – as he flipped over onto his back, squishing his daughter between himself and the bed. She screamed into his neck and tried to push him off. "_Daddy!"_ was her muffled shout. "_You're crushing me! Get off me, fatty!"_ Natsu sat up immediately, and she sucked in a harsh breath. She tried to sit up but was pushed back down.

"Let's get one thing straight," Natsu said lowly, looming over her. He poked her chest. "I'm _not_ fat. Got it?"

"Whatever you say, Daddy," Nashi teased, poking his nose. Natsu grabbed her hands and pinned them to the bed.

"I'm not fat!" he insisted, growling playfully as he pressed his mouth to her belly, blowing hard. Nashi screamed and thrashed at the tickling, trying to pry her hands away. Natsu laughed as he pulled away, nuzzling into her neck. "Now why'd you wake me up so early?"

"Ma… Mama has a… a surprise for you…" she said between breaths, wiggling her hands out from his grasp. Natsu perked up and looked at her excitedly.

"Surprise? Really?" he said quickly. "What is it?"

"I can't tell you. Go… into the kitchen and… find out." It was at that moment when Natsu realized the _delicious_ smell coming from the kitchen. He inhaled deeply through his nose, his eyes rolling blissfully to the back of his head. He hummed contentedly. Nashi giggled. "Come on," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him off the bed and into the kitchen. He rubbed his eyes as they reacted to the light difference. He looked up to see his wife hovering over the counter, pushing the eggs out of the pan and onto a plate. He took a look around, taking in all of the delicious smells and the sights that went with them. The corner of his mouth twitched into a half-smile.

"Wow," he said simply, catching Lucy's attention. She looked at him over her shoulder and smiled.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she greeted, lifting the two plates from the counter and placing them on the table. One had a considerably larger amount of food than the other, and Natsu immediately knew that it was his. She looked up at him. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to eat?" The Dragon Slayer approached her, swiftly kissing her cheek.

"What…?" he said slowly.

"Happy birthday, Natsu."

"Luce, wow. You didn't have to—"

"Shut up," she cut him off sharply, placing a finger over his lips. "I know I didn't _have_ to, but I _wanted_ to." She gave him a light peck on the lips. "Now sit down and eat. Both of you. I'm going to get Ryū." With that said, she left the room. Natsu fell into his chair, staring at his breakfast in awe. After processing it for a moment, he happily took the fork on the side of the plate and began to stuff his face. He sighed. It was incredible. As always.

"Do you like it?" Nashi asked from her seat, her food untouched. Natsu looked at her questioningly. "I helped, so I wanted to know what you thought of it…" Natsu hummed in understanding and swallowed.

"It's delicious, amai," he praised, reaching over and tousling her hair. She beamed and began eating herself as Lucy walked back into the room, a sleepy Ryū in her arms. Happy came in behind her, helping himself to the fish they kept in the fridge. She sat down in the chair across from her husband, lifting up her shirt to give her son his breakfast. Natsu stared, and Lucy instantly noticed.

"Natsu, focus on _your_ food," she said warningly. "Don't be a creep." Blushing brightly in the cheeks, he instantly lowered his head to look back at his food, silently shoving a piece of egg into his mouth. Nashi looked between her parents, her brow furrowed and her nose scrunched up. Her mom was in a normal position, holding her little brother in her arms and feeding him with her breast; Nashi had seen it several times before. But her father… seemed nervous, _embarrassed_ even. She'd _never_ seen her Daddy act so shy, and she's definitely never seen him blush. It was strange.

"Mama?" she said. Lucy looked up and turned to her.

"Yes?"

"Why is Daddy acting so weird?" The two wizards glanced at each other. Lucy grinned mischievously.

"Because Daddy is a pervert," she answered bluntly. Happy snickered as he bit into his fish, and Natsu's blush went from pink to red.

"Luce…" he whined.

"What's a pervert?" Nashi asked innocently. Lucy giggled at the expression on her husband's face, his eyes silently begging her to cut him some slack. But she paid it no heed. In fact, she made it harder for him.

"Natsu, why don't _you_ tell her what a pervert is?" The Salamander jerked back, surprised. He felt the heat in his face get even worse when Nashi's innocent brown eyes turned to him, waiting patiently for him to explain. He looked back to Lucy, who was trying to hold back her laughter. "Go on, Natsu. Tell her what you were doing."

"Lucy!" he whispered harshly. "She's _five!_"

"She has to learn at some point, doesn't she?" she whispered back.

"Learn what?" Nashi snapped, becoming impatient. Natsu cleared his throat.

"Just, uh… just eat your breakfast, amai," he said awkwardly, turning back to his own food. Nashi lifted a brow and turned to her mother, who was looking back at Ryū, laughing gently. What weren't they telling her? Ugh. She loved her parents, she really did. But sometimes, they were so _weird_.

* * *

The theme park with Romeo and Wendy was a lot of fun. Thanks to Wendy's magic, Natsu was able to go on every ride with Nashi and actually be able to enjoy it. Nashi was just as an adrenaline junkie as her father was. Lucy stayed behind with Ryū while everyone else went on the rides. Natsu offered to stay with Ryū so she could go have some fun too. But she denied every time.

By the time they got to the guild for dinner, the sky bursting with vivid shades of orange, purple, and pink as the sun began to set, Nashi was out cold. Lucy pushed the stroller with Ryū, Natsu walking beside her with a sleeping Nashi in his arms. Even when they walked into the rambunctious guild, she remained fast asleep. They sat at a table with Romeo and Wendy, talking about pointless things as they waited for their food. The Dragon Slayer in training was sitting on Natsu's lap, her head resting on his shoulder, her face titled slightly toward the crook of his neck.

"Wow, she really is asleep, isn't she?" Romeo asked, amused. Natsu looked down at his sleeping daughter, holding her up with one arm. He bounced lightly, and she didn't do much as stir.

"This never happens," he said. "She's always so full of energy, and usually a pain to get her to go to sleep."

"I guess we finally found her limit, ne?" Lucy piped up, holding Ryū up with one arm, using her free hand to prod at his sides, tickling him. The child giggled, a toothless grin stretching across his chubby face. Wendy sighed.

"Ryū-chan is so handsome," she mused, glancing to the older Dragon Slayer. "Just like his father." Natsu grinned, his chest puffing out proudly. Lucy laughed.

"Please don't boost his ego," she said. "He's already conceited; he doesn't need other people's approval." They all laughed.

"How does Nashi feel about Ryū?" Romeo inquired.

"She's very fond of him," answered the blonde. "She plays with him all the time, and worries about him when he cries." She looked over to her daughter and brushed her fuchsia from her face. "She'll be an amazing sister when they grow up." Natsu pouted.

"I don't want my amai to grow up…" he whined. Lucy snorted lightheartedly.

"Me neither."

* * *

The fire wizard collapsed onto the bed, his eyes heavy. The day had been incredible. And his arm was finally usable again; having Nashi asleep on it for an hour and a half _really_ cut off the circulation. Lucy was currently in the other room, trying to put Ryū to sleep. He sighed. He never imagined his life this way. It was amazing in every way. He heard the door to the kids' room close, so he turned just in time to see Lucy walk into the room. "Are they asleep?" he asked, pushing himself to his elbows. Lucy leaned against the doorframe and smiled at him.

"Yeah," she answered softly. She laughed. "Well, I guess Nashi was already asleep." Natsu chuckled as well, but then he realized something. Lucy was wearing a robe. Had she changed before coming back to their bedroom? Or was she already dressed like that? No… They'd gotten home from the guild half an hour ago, and she went straight to their kids' room to put them to bed. She hadn't done anything else before that. She must've just changed. And why were her hands behind her back?

"Thanks for today, Luce," he said happily, a bright grin stretching across his face. "I had a lot of fun."

"I'm glad you liked it," Lucy grinned. She paused, looking up at him through her lashes. "But you know… the night's not over yet." She giggled at the confused look on his face. He'd already discarded his shirt and pants, assuming that they were going to bed as well when she got back. "I have a present to give you." The Dragon Slayer beamed with excitement, straightening into a sitting position.

"Really?" he asked gleefully. "What is it?" Lucy smirked mysteriously.

"Close your eyes."

"Eh?"

"Just do it." Huffing with annoyance and impatience, Natsu folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes. He head her approaching footsteps, and then felt her tugging on his scarf. He peeked an eye open.

"What're you—?" he tried to say, but stopped when she flicked his nose. "Ow! What was that for?"

"I said close your eyes," she snapped. Groaning, he did as told. He felt his scarf being removed from his neck, and, to his surprise, felt it wrap securely around his eyes like a blindfold.

"Lucy, wh—?"

"Shh," she hushed, placing a finger to his lips. She put a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him to his back. She grabbed his wrists and held his arms above his head. He felt something cold on his skin, but had no way to investigate it. There was a clicking noise, and after a short pause, he heard the light turn off. He felt Lucy's hands reach around his head to undo his scarf, pulling it away. He blinked a few times to let his eyes adjust to the darkness, and he remembered the cold feeling on his wrists. He looked up, and was stunned to the moon reflecting on a metallic surface. He was handcuffed to the bed. Confused, he turned his head to find Lucy, who was standing beside the bed, her arms folded across her chest and a smug smirk on her lips. He suddenly felt a little nervous.

"Uh… what're you doing?" he asked quietly. Lucy gave him a sultry smile, reaching to the sash around her waist.

"Giving you your birthday present," she whispered, pulling her robe open and letting it fall to the floor. Natsu felt the air leave his lungs. She was wearing a lacy black bra with matching panties, the bra pushing her breasts together and giving emphasis to what really didn't need it. He gulped audibly as she crawled onto the bed and rested her weight over his hips. She leaned forward and placed her lips to his throat, sucking harshly on his skin and leaving a dark red mark. She kissed her way up his neck, giving the skin on his jaw a little nip. She giggled at his sharp gasp, lifting her head to look into his eyes. "Sorry about the handcuffs," she apologized softly, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "I know they must be uncomfortable, but since it's your birthday, I thought we'd try something new."

He chuckled. "So you went with handcuffing me to the bed?" he asked. "Nice choice." The two of them laughed, Lucy leaning down to claim his lips with her own. She gently snagged his bottom lip between her teeth. He growled into her mouth, tracing his tongue along the seam of her lips. Their tongues tangled around each other, battling for dominance. Abruptly, Lucy straightened up and straddled his hips, leaving him dazed with his chest heaving. She lightly grazed her fingertips down his chest and abdomen, grinning at the shiver that wracked his body.

"Just relax, okay?" she murmured. He nodded, and they proceeded to have the greatest birthday of his life.


	32. Fever

Fever

* * *

Lucy speed-walked through the streets of Magnolia, wanting to get to the guild as quickly as possible. She didn't want to be away from the house for very long because she'd left the kids alone. Natsu was out on a mission, and Happy had gone with him this time. A week ago, Nashi had come down with a fever, so Lucy just thought she had the flu. But the fever hadn't gone down. If anything, it got worse. And now, the young girl was freezing, shivering violently even when wrapped up in several blankets, and her breathing was shallow and raspy, and she's sweating profusely. Lucy had to find Wendy.

Her daughter was getting worse with each passing day, and she didn't know what to do.

The celestial wizard sighed in relief when her beloved guild finally came into view. She increased her pace into a jog and burst through the doors, scanning the area for the familiar sky sorceress. She frowned when she couldn't find her and approached the bar. She leaned against the bar table. "Mira," she called, catching the barmaid's attention. She subconsciously smoothened out the nonexistent wrinkles on her red dress and shuffled over to the blonde.

"Good afternoon, Lucy," she said cheerfully. "The usual?"

"No, no," she denied quickly, waving her hand. "Thanks, though. I was wondering if you knew where Wendy was?"

"She took a job with Charle and Romeo. Why?" Lucy sighed with distress and hung her head, increasing Mirajane's worry. "Is something wrong, Lucy?"

"Yeah…" she answered slowly, lifting her head. "Nashi's really sick, and I don't know what to do. I was hoping Wendy would be able to help…" She tapped her fingers against the counter. "I guess I'm going to have to find Porlyusica. Would you mind watching Nashi and Ryū for half an hour or so, Mira?"

"I'm so sorry, dear, but I'm a little busy today," Mirajane said apologetically, reaching for an empty mug. She turned to the sound of her name being called. "I have to go, Lucy. I'm sorry." And with that, she left. Lucy groaned and looked around the room, her eyes landing on a table across the room where the boys sat. Among them was Gray. She made her way through the crowded guildhall to retrieve him.

"Gray!" The ice alchemist jumped at the sound of his name and turned to her as she approached him.

"Hey, Lucy," he greeted with a friendly smile. "What's up?"

"Could you watch Nashi and Ryū for a while?" she asked desperately. "Please? It's an emergency."

"What's wrong?"

"Nashi's really sick. And since Wendy's not here, I'm going to have to go find Porlyusica. Please, Gray? Just for a few minutes?"

"Yeah, sure," he said, standing from his seat. Lucy released a relieved exhale and fumbled for her key chain. She took off a brass one – one Gray recognized to be a normal key rather than magical – and hastily handed it to him.

"Thank you so much," she said gratefully. "Ryū's usually nice with other people, so he shouldn't be a problem." She began to back up toward the doors. "Just keep him entertained and he'll be fine. Thanks again!" And with that, she darted out of the guild, making her way toward the East Forest.

* * *

When Gray unlocked the door to Lucy's house and stepped inside, the first thing he heard was a nasty cough. He winced when he realized it must have been Nashi, closing the door behind him with a thunk. The coughing stopped, and then he heard a raspy, almost pitiful whine that sounded something like "Mama…" Gray set the brass key on the dining table before making his way for Nashi and Ryū's room. The door was slightly ajar, so he peeked his head inside.

"Nashi?" he called softly. The young child coughed again, before settling down and wheezing with each breath.

"Gray-oji…" she whispered, shivering under the thick blanket that lay on top of her. "Where's Mama?" The exhibitionist stepped inside, blinking several times to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

"She went to find someone to help you. I heard you don't feel very well?" He saw her shake her head.

"Nuh, uh…"

"That sucks, huh?"

She nodded. "Uh, huh…" Gray smiled at her, and she grinned back, albeit weakly. He looked around the room.

"Where's your brother?" Nashi turned her head away and coughed, her body shaking with the movement. Her coughing fit went on for a minute or so, and Gray had kneeled beside her bed, rubbing her shoulder as she hacked. When she calmed down, she shuddered violently and pulled the blanket higher under her chin as she turned back to him.

"She… she moved otōto-chan's crib to her and Daddy's room… She said she was worried that I was c… contashious…"

Gray chuckled. "Contagious," he corrected gently. Nashi tried to laugh, but she ended up falling into another coughing fit.

"Gray-oji?" she rasped. He hummed in acknowledgement. "When will Mama come back?"

"She should only be gone for a few minutes. I have to go make sure Ryū's okay, so I'll be right back, alright?" The six-year-old nodded slowly.

* * *

"Porlyusica-san!" Lucy called, knocking on the door to the old woman's cottage. "Please open the door!" As if on cue, the wooden door swung open to reveal the witch on the other side, looking calm yet frustrated at the same time.

"Good afternoon, Lucy-san," she said dryly. "You're not pregnant again, are you?"

"Er, no, Porlyusica-san, but—"

"Then what is it? I'm busy at the moment."

"I apologize for coming here on such short notice, Porlyusica-san, but it's an emergency." The woman straightened her back, implying she was interested. "Nashi, my daughter, is sick." Porlyusica's eyes narrowed with annoyance.

"Why don't you just give her some tea and—"

"You don't understand!" Lucy interrupted, waving her hands. "She isn't sick with a cold! I would go ask for Wendy's help, but she isn't at the guild. Please, just come see her and tell me what I need to do." There was a silence between the two women as the older one debated with herself over what to do. Eventually, she sighed in resignation.

"How long has she been sick?" she asked quietly.

"A little over a week," Lucy answered.

"Does she have a fever?"

"Yes."

"How bad is it?"

"I checked her temperature last night, and it was 104 degrees. I've been giving her herbal teas to try and bring it down, but none of them have done anything. She's sweating profusely, even though she says she's freezing. Nashi is _never_ cold."

"Anything else?"

"Her breathing is shallow and raspy, and she says it hurts when she takes deep breaths."

"Does she have a cough?"

"Yes." The old woman cupped her chin and closed her eyes, humming as she thought about it. She had a hunch of what the child could be sick with, but she didn't want to give Lucy advice on what to do before she was completely sure. She opened her magenta eyes, connecting them with Lucy's. The blonde shifted nervously on her feet as she waited for a response.

"Let me grab a few things," Porlyusica finally said. "And then you can take me to her." Lucy smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Porlyusica-san."

* * *

Lucy waited anxiously on the couch in the living room, subconsciously bouncing Ryū in her lap. Porlyusica was in the other room, taking a physical examination on Nashi. The old woman wouldn't tell her what she thought was wrong with Nashi the whole walk home, and because of that, she was incredibly worried. Gray was still there, and had told her several times that whatever illness Nashi had, she would be fine. But no matter what he would tell her, she wouldn't calm down. She wished Natsu was there, back from his mission. He had a special talent for getting her to calm down. Hearing him tell her it was going to be alright made her instantly relax.

She wanted Natsu to be there.

It seemed like hours before Porlyusica finally stepped into the living room. Lucy immediately stood up, holding a sleeping Ryū against her. Gray was anxious as well as he pushed off of the wall, waiting for the old women to give the prognosis.

"Your daughter has pneumonia," she said finally, a somewhat grim look in her eyes. Lucy felt her heart drop into her stomach like a stone. "It's not an uncommon illness, but you can die from it. It's an infection in the lungs, and it is easily treatable at an early stage. Luckily you came to me before it could get any worse."

"What do I have to do, Porlyusica-san?" Lucy asked softly, swallowing the massive lump that formed in her throat.

"Keep her in bed, bundle her up," she answered quickly, reaching into the bag she brought with her. "Make sure she drinks plenty of fluids; you don't want her to get dehydrated."

Lucy nodded. "Of course."

"Also make sure she gets plenty of rest," she continued. "I already told her, but I'm going to tell you as well. Don't let her try to stop the coughing. Coughing is one of the ways her body will get rid of the infection. Here." She handed Lucy a pouch. "It's an herbal remedy designed to bring down fevers."

"But I—"

"I _know_ you already tried giving her herbal teas to do the exact same thing," she snapped, growing frustrated at being interrupted. "But this one is guaranteed to work. Mix it in with a broth and make her drink it. Give it to her twice a day, once in the morning and once at night." She approached the door to make her leave. "I'll be back in three weeks to check on how she's doing. If nothing changes before then, come to me. Goodbye." And without another word, she left. The room fell silent.

"See?" Gray broke the ice (pun intended). "I told you she was going to be fine." Lucy didn't say anything, only walked into her and Natsu's room to put Ryū to bed for his afternoon nap. She walked into the kitchen to make the tea for Nashi.

"Thanks again for watching the kids, Gray," she said softly as she waited for the tea to warm.

"No problem." There was a pause. "Do you want me to stay?"

She shook her head. "No, it's alright. You can go."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Alright…" He patted her shoulder. "See you later, Lucy."

"See you." She stared blankly at the pot, watching the tiny flames flickering beneath the burner. It made her think about how Natsu was going to react when he came home.

He was going to have a heart attack.

* * *

**Author's Note: hey, guys! Sorry I've been gone for so long. I don't really have a good reason for it… Was I the only one who was a little disappointed with how chapter 337 ended? Natsu destroying the Eclipse Door so easily, and then Future Rogue and all the dragons disappearing right after it… The whole thing seemed a little… I dunno… anticlimactic. Don't you think? It seemed like Mashima-kun just wanted to get the arc over with. But maybe that's just me.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed chapter 32. Please leave a review! (Hehe. I made a rhyme! :3) Oh! And please go check out my new story, _Shadows in the Sun,_ if you haven't already. It's going to be really good! I promise!**


	33. Fatherly Love

Fatherly Love

* * *

**Three days after Porlyusica left…**

Lucy tucked stray strands of Ryū's hair out of his face, smiling gently as she waited for the oven to beep. She glanced in the direction of Nashi's room with a sigh. It had been a week since Porlyusica diagnosed Nashi, and four days since Natsu came home. His face when she told him Nashi was sick was terrible. He'd barely left her room since then. She flinched when Nashi's coughing echoed through the hall, and again when the oven beeped, signaling dinner's near-completion. She gave Ryū a kiss on the forehead, earning a happy gurgle as he played with his beanie baby. She smiled at him before approaching the oven and pulling out the meatloaf – a new recipe she'd been working on; she thought she'd try something new.

Lucy began slicing it into almost identical pieces, moving on to make the potatoes. She'd just started stirring them when another terrible cough sounded from her daughter's room. She turned to Ryū when he made a sound. He was looking toward Nashi's room, his grey eyes glazed with worry. As if sensing his mother's gaze, he looked at her. Lucy knew that look well. Natsu had that look in his eyes when he was concerned.

Within a matter of seconds, dinner was completed and ready to be eaten. Lucy huffed and approached Ryū, lifting him out of his highchair and into her arms. She kneeled down to retrieve the beanie baby he dropped and made her way to Nashi's room. She knocked on the door before turning the knob and peeking inside. Nashi was sitting up in the bed, the thick blankets pooling around her waist. Natsu was sitting on the edge beside her, comfortingly rubbing her back as she coughed almost silently.

"Dinner's ready, Natsu," she said, shifting Ryū's weight in her arms. Natsu glanced up at her and smiled.

"Alright," he said softly, turning his attention back to Nashi as she continued to stifle her coughs. Lucy stepped further into the room, sitting down at the foot of the bed.

"Just cough, sweetheart," she ordered gently.

"It… hurts to c-c-cough, Mama…" Nashi muttered, her voice raspy and muffled from the hand she had covering it. Settling Ryū down on her lap, Lucy reached out and touched Nashi's free hand.

"I know, sweetie. But coughing is going to help you get better. I promise." Nashi's dark brown eyes moved up to meet her mother's for a moment, just long enough to see her smile, before screwing her eyes shut and leaning over herself, coughing hard. Ryū jumped with surprise, clutching onto the dragon plushy. Lucy and Natsu winced; it sounded like it was tearing her throat apart. Once it dwindled down to mere wheezes, Ryū reached out to her, wanting to get to her. Lucy looked down at him, before throwing Natsu a hesitant glance. He looked uneasy as well, but nodded wordlessly. The blonde sighed a little reluctantly as she lifted her son out of her lap and set him on the mattress in front of his sister. Wendy had mentioned to Lucy that pneumonia can be very contagious depending on how severe it is, but she and Natsu tried to avoid having Ryū so close to her.

The last thing they needed was a sick six-year-old child _and_ a sick seven-month-old baby.

Nashi straightened her back, but kept her head hanging, strained tears squeezing past her eyelids. She shivered violently, but remained seated with no blankets. She found an overwhelming comfort in the feeling of her father's hand on her back, but even more so when she felt a hand that didn't belong to either parent touch hers. She opened her chocolate eyes and saw her baby brother seated in front of her, looking up at her with big obsidian eyes. He reached forward and dropped his dragon into her lap. Nashi stared at it for a moment, before lifting her head to look back at Ryū. His small hands sat in his lap, his eyes seeming hopeful, like he was waiting for her approval.

Nashi smiled and reached for him, gently pulling him into a hug. Ryū hummed happily into her chest. Lucy felt her heart swell, looking up at Natsu, who had a goofy grin on his face. She knew she had one too.

"Alright," Lucy said suddenly, reaching for Ryū and lifting him up, heading for the door. "It's dinner time. Nashi, your father will bring you some more of that tea after dinner. Make sure to drink all of it, alright?"

"Yes, Mama," she answered distantly, holding Ryū's dragon to her chest. Natsu kissed his daughter's forehead before standing up and following Lucy out the door.

"I've been trying to get her to stop doing that all day," Natsu said as they walked into the kitchen. "I told her holding it in wasn't going to help, but she wouldn't listen to me." He tsked. "She's so stubborn sometimes."

Lucy laughed, turning to her husband to give him their son. "I wonder where she gets it, ne?" she asked sarcastically. Natsu glared playfully at her, taking Ryū into his arms. Lucy turned to the dinner on the table and began setting the plates. "He's worried, Natsu. Every time he hears her coughing, he gets this sad, pitiful look in his eyes. I really hope she gets better soon. I don't like seeing that look." The dragon slayer craned his neck to look at his son.

"Does Nashi being sick scare you, little buddy?" he asked gently, lifting his hand to brush Ryū's hair away from his forehead. Ryū whined and leaned his head against his shoulder. Natsu kissed his head. "Yeah, me too." Bouncing, he scanned his eyes over the food on the table, and realized that there was no fish. "Hey, Luce?"

"Hm?"

"Where's Happy? I haven't seen him all day."

"Oh, he's staying with Wendy and Charle today," she answered easily. "Did you know he and Charle are together now?"

"Yeah. Yeah, he told me."

"Well, apparently, she's pregnant with three." She glanced at him as she set down one of the filled plates, a wide smile on her face. "Isn't that great?" Natsu's eyes were wide as he continued to bounce. He was silent for a moment, before a blinding grin spread across his face.

"Seriously?" he said cheerfully. "That's incredible!"

Lucy laughed. "I know. He's really excited about it."

"Do he and Charle have any ideas one what they're going to name them?"

"Um… I don't know, I didn't ask him."

Natsu ran a hand through his hair. "Wow, that's crazy."

"It's crazy that Happy and Charle are going to be parents?"

"Well… yeah, but it's not just that. I mean, _all_ of it is crazy. Me and you are married and have two kids, Gray and Juvia are married and have two kids, Happy and Charle are _having_ kids, Erza and Jellal are getting married next month, Romeo and Wendy have been dating for almost a year now… All we have to wait for now is Gajeel to get his head out of his ass and ask Levy out on a date." Lucy glared at him.

"Watch your language around our son, please," she chastised.

"Sorry."

"And he has."

"Who has what?"

"Gajeel asked Levy out," Lucy clarified, grabbing one of the plates; he assumed it was Nashi's. "The other day. Levy told me. I'll be right back." She left to give Nashi's food to her, walking back into the kitchen within a minute. She took Ryū and sat down at the table, lifting her shirt to breastfeed him. She looked up at her husband. "What're you just standing there for? Eat."

* * *

"I don't want to."

"I know you don't want to, but you have to. It's gonna help you get better."

"It's gross."

"I know, I know. But you still have to drink it." Nashi turned her head away, and Natsu sighed in disdain. Suddenly, an idea popped in his head. "Hey, tell you what. You drink this without any objection from now on, I'll start teaching you how to use magic as soon as you're healthy again. Deal?" Tempted, Nashi looked at him. He smiled goofily. "Whaddya say?"

"As soon as I get better?" she asked softly.

"The very moment."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

After a brief coughing fit, Nashi finally sat up and turned to him, taking the small cup into her hands. She looked down into the liquid, watching the leaves float around. She grimaced and took a deep breath, preparing herself to drink it. But before she could touch the mug to her lips, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. "Wanna know a good thing to do?" Natsu asked. She nodded, and he leaned in as if what he was going to tell her was a secret. "Chug it. Don't think about the taste. Just focus on getting it done and over with." He finished with a wink. Nashi stared at him for a moment, before nodding and doing as suggested.

She lifted the glass to her lips and began gulping it down, her eyebrows knitting together in disgust. Once all of it was gone, she hastily handed the cup back to her father, shuddering as she wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "See? Done before you knew it." He set another glass on her nightstand. "I brought you some water to wash it down with." The petite little girl quickly reached over and took a big gulp of the ice water, sighing in relief as the majority of the bad after-taste vanished from her mouth. Natsu grinned and placed a hand on her head, planting a kiss to her forehead. "Get some rest," he said softly. "Your mother and I will check on you before we go to bed, okay?"

Nashi nodded as she set the glass back down. "Okay," she said sleepily, lying on her side and pulling the blankets up to her chin. She shivered harshly beneath the covers, causing her to curl her knees up to her chest to try and conserve heat.

"Night, Nashi," he said as he made his way for the door.

"Goodnight, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

**Author's Note: First of all, I'm so sorry about the slow update. I haven't been able to concentrate lately, and that's probably why the quality of this chapter was… meh. I've been trying for so long to get this one finished and up here, but every time I brought it up on my computer, I'd get distracted. So, again, I apologize.**

**Anyway, to wolf191000, who said it was scary how Lucy reacted to Nashi being sick; that's how my mother used to be when I was sick. Especially when I got pneumonia when I was seven. And to Miho; yes, there was a timeskip, but only a small one. Only a couple of months. And Tawny, I was so happy to hear that I'm "seriously epic." I've never been called epic before. x3**

**Please leave a review, guys! I love getting feedback from you! We're almost at 400!**

**Oh, and please stop telling me what "koibito" means. I now know it means "lover" so I'm trying to come up with a new nickname for Nashi. Thank you for running it by me, but please. I get it already.**


	34. No Matter What

No Matter What

* * *

**One month later…**

"Ugh, this isn't working," Lucy said irritably, turning to look at herself sideways in the mirror. After her pregnancy with Ryū, her body has yet to regain its original shape. It's been seven months since her baby boy was born. She was able to get thinner within five months after Nashi was born. Why is it taking so long this time? Erza and Jellal's wedding reception was in thirty minutes, and she had this really pretty dress that she's been _dying_ to wear. But… it doesn't look the way it did when she tried it on at the store, a month into her pregnancy. Her breasts were bigger than before, her hips were fuller, her waist was wider.

"What isn't working?" Natsu asked as he walked into the room, fixing the tie around his neck.

"This!" She gestured to herself. "I look like the fat woman you see at carnivals…" Natsu snorted and rolled his eyes as he walked up behind her, hugging her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Don't say that," he said softly, pressing his lips to her neck. "You're beautiful. If you gain a little weight, or even if your hair turns grey, you'll always be beautiful." He trailed tender kisses passed her jaw and up her cheek, which was now slightly warmer than usual and tinted a pretty red. He smirked.

"Natsu…" she whispered, feeling her cheeks get hotter.

"What?" he murmured gently against her temple, his breath fanning out across her skin and causing icy chills to dance down her spine. One of his hands slid down to grasp her own, lacing his fingers with hers. He grinned mischievously, deciding to make her blush even more. "It's true. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met. You're gorgeous." Lucy turned her head to look at him.

"Are you guys being gross again?" a voice questioned, making them both jump in surprise. They turned to face the one who possessed that voice, their six-year-old daughter. She was dressed in a pretty coral blue gown, her feet adorned in shiny white slippers. Her shoulder-length fuchsia hair was messy and unkempt. Her nose was scrunched up as she looked at them, her eyes narrowed with distaste. She tsked and folded her arms. She shuddered. "I mean, ew. Why do you guys have to be so gross all the time?" Natsu snickered and stepped away, his hands falling from her waist. Lucy cleared her throat, a light pink blush dusting across her cheeks.

"C'mon, N-Nashi," she sputtered, approaching her daughter. "Let's get your hair fixed up." She gently cupped Nashi's shoulder and lead her to the bed, sitting down and positioning her daughter in front of her. She grabbed the brush from the nightstand, peeking up at Natsu, who was watching them with a warm smile. She gestured to the door. "Go get Ryū ready, Natsu." The Dragon Slayer rolled his eyes with a playful grin as he stepped out of the room. "Sweetheart, how did you manage to mess up your hair?" she asked, running the brush through her daughter's soft locks. "We've been here for five minutes."

"I'm sorry, Mama," Nashi said, wincing slightly when her mother pulled out a particularly large knot in her hair. "I just really needed to get those annoying bear-ets out of my hair…"

Lucy laughed. "_Berets_, sweetheart. And I understand." The blonde leaned forward, as if about to tell a secret. "I don't like them either." The two girls laughed as Lucy continued brushing Nashi's hair. The little girl lifted a hand to her mouth and coughed. Lucy furrowed her brow. "Are you sure you feel well enough to go to the party?"

Nashi nodded. "Yes, Mama. I feel fine."

"Okay…" Just as she finished brushing her child's hair, Natsu walked back into the room, carrying Ryū in his arms.

"Ta-da!" he announced, gesturing to the tux his eight-month-old son was wearing. Both of the girls' eyes lit up at the sight, and Lucy stood up from the mattress and approached them.

"Look at you!" she cooed, taking Ryū into her own hands. "So handsome… You're almost cuter than your father."

"_Almost_," Natsu stressed, narrowing his eyes a little. Lucy rolled her eyes and placed a gentle kiss to Ryū's cheek, earning a happy giggle. "You ready to go, Luce?"

"Ah! No!" She hastily handed Ryū back to Natsu and ran into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

"Mama's slow," Nashi said blatantly, folding her thin arms across her chest. Natsu chuckled.

"Yeah, she's always been like that. She always takes her sweet time getting ready to go on jobs, parties… even when she knows we're on a tight schedule."

"I heard you!" Lucy hollered from the bathroom.

"You were meant to!" Natsu yelled back, smirking as he leaned up against the wall.

"Jerk!" Natsu's smirk softened into a warm grin as he rolled his eyes, something that his young daughter didn't miss. She'd caught him making that face several times after her mother had called him a name, or told him he was lazy, or scolded him about his language in front of herself or otōto-chan. He'd always make a silly face – like he was right now – and come back with a goofy "sorry, Luce" or a soft "yeah, yeah." He never seemed bothered when she was annoyed with him, even when she was flat-out angry with him. Nashi had never seen her parents get into an argument, a _real_ one. It would always be Mama yelling at Daddy about something stupid he said or did, and he would always smile and say he was sorry, like he was apologizing for bumping into her.

But the weirdest part about her parents' "arguments" is that Lucy would always forgive him, right on the spot. He'd look at her with that face, and the angry look on hers would melt away. She asked her mother once why she was able to forgive him so easily. And her reply was simply "because I love him."

"Daddy?" she spoke, looking up at him with innocent eyes.

"Yeah?" he said, turning to her as he switched Ryū from his left side to his right.

"Do you love Mama?"

"Yes. Of course I do."

"For how long?"

Natsu thought about that question for a moment. When he had an answer, he shrugged and grinned. "Probably for as long as I've known her." He thought about his answer, before nodding once. "Yeah, that's right. I fell in love with her the day I met her. But I hadn't realized it until _long_ after that."

Nashi scrunched her nose. "How did you know you were in love with Mama?"

"She made me feel weird," he answered quickly, walking over to the bed to sit on the edge. Nashi lifted her eyebrow as she sat down next to him.

"Whaddya mean?"

"Well… you know that feeling you get in your stomach when you're nervous?"

"You mean… like butterflies?"

"Yeah." He placed a hand to his abdomen. "She would give me butterflies just by _smiling_ at me."

Nashi's eyes widened. "Just by _smiling?"_ she repeated, baffled. Natsu laughed.

"Yup."

"What else?"

"Hm… I would get really scared when she was hurt. I still do. Seeing her cry breaks my heart every time. Making her laugh, seeing her happy automatically makes me happy too. She hugged me when Fairy Tail won the Magic Tournament a few years back." He paused, a silly, reminiscent smile stretching across his lips. "It made me feel like I could do anything."

"Is that why you can get her to forgive you so easily?" she inquired. "Because you love her and she loves you?"

He nodded. "I suppose. That and the fact that I'll always love her. No matter what." There was silence for a moment, while Nashi processed everything her father just told her. But before she could ask any more questions, Lucy walked out of the bathroom.

"Alright, you guys, let's go," she said quickly. "Before Erza kills us." Natsu and Nashi hurriedly jumped off the bed and followed Lucy out the door.

Nashi held her mother's hand on the walk back to the guild, her face scrunched up as she continued to think. He said he'd always love Mama, no matter what. To Nashi, it seemed a little hard to believe that they would love each other forever. But then she remembered how often they kiss, how he tells her he loves her several times a day, and in vice versa. Nashi sees their reactions when the other comes home from a mission, how they whisper to each other, how well they get along, how little they fight. She thought maybe, just maybe, her parents _will_ always love each other. She looked to the side, between their bodies.

They were holding hands.

* * *

**Author's Note: So what's with Erza and Natsu turning into little kids in the last chapter? I have to admit, though, when I saw Natsu as a little boy, I had an epic fangirl moment. I don't know if you guys know already, but I'm a diehard Natsu fangirl. I absolutely **_**love**_** everything about him. I love his hair, his eyes, his body, his voice, his sexy half-smile, his idiocy, his obvious crush on Lucy, his magic, his scarf, his clothes… I think I'm just in love with **_**him.**_

**Enough with my Natsu-rambling. Moving on to more important things, please leave a review you guys! I love your feedback, and I missed hearing from you during my absence. Speaking of which, I promise to never make all of you wait so long for an update again. And I also decided to put a timeline at the beginning of every chapter. Because all of the timeskipping is actually starting to confuse **_**me**_** as well. Ha.**

**On another note: I'm working on something new. I don't know what it's gonna be called yet, and it's kinda difficult to explain in a few sentences, so just be on the lookout, okay?**

**Again, review please! I love you guys **_**so**_** much! (And Natsu of course.)**


	35. Story Time

Story Time

* * *

"What about this one, Daddy?" Nashi asked, pointing down at the request flier on the next page of the photo album they were looking at. Natsu, Happy, and the kids were lying on the couch, looking through a photo album Ryū stumbled upon while creating strife in his parents' bedroom. The father was lying stretched out across the couch, Nashi curled up beside him with his arm draped over her shoulders as he held the album over her lap. Ryū sat on his stomach, finding more interest in the scarf around his father's neck than the old pictures and job requests, and Happy sat on the arm of the couch behind Natsu's head.

Natsu readjusted Ryū's weight before looking over at the indicated flier. On the picture was Duke Everlue, smiling nastily while twirling the hairs on his mustache. Natsu chuckled as he recalled the memory.

"That was the first official mission I took with your mom," he answered easily, a reminiscent smile gracing his features. "We took it three days after she joined the guild."

"That was when Team Natsu was born!" Happy exclaimed, pointing at the request over Natsu's shoulder. Nashi leaned forward, squinting her eyes as she tried to read the request.

"O… obt…" she tried, struggling with the word, one she'd never seen before.

"Obtain," Natsu said for her, grinning as he watched his daughter try to read.

"Obtain a b… book by the name of D… Da…" Natsu reached over and placed his thumb over the second half of the word.

"What does that say?" he asked.

"Day," she answered after a moment's hesitation. He repositioned his finger.

"And that?" The young girl had more of a difficulty with this one, sticking her tongue out to the side as she thought about it. It's only five letters, it shouldn't be hard to say. Let's see. B-R-E-A-K. Br…eek? No, that's not right. Br…aik? No, that doesn't work either. "Want some help?" Natsu asked, trying not to laugh at the face his daughter was making. He swore he could smell her hair burning.

"Mm, mm," she hummed, shaking her head. The Dragon Slayer and the feline exchanged glances, both of them equally amused. Come on… it's just _five letters!_ This is easy! What sound does 'E' and 'A' make when they're put next to each other? Br…ache. That's it! "Break!" she shouted, looking up at her father for approval. He nodded.

"There ya go," he said, patting her head. He removed his thumb. "Now, put them together."

"Day…break?"

"Yup."

"What does 'daybreak' mean?"

"When the sun comes up in the morning."

"Like a sunrise?"

"Exactly."

Nashi nodded in understanding, looking back at the request. "Obtain a book by the name of Daybreak," she repeated, before slowly moving on, going back every time Natsu corrected her. "Burn the book… once in po…p…possession. The re…reward?" She looked up at Natsu to see if she said it right. He nodded. "The reward for d-doing so is… um… what's that number?"

"Two hundred thousand."

"You and Mama got _two hundred thousand Jewels_ just by getting some book and burning it?" she asked exasperatedly. Natsu laughed.

"Well, we got the book, but Mama found a hidden secret in it," he explained, waggling his eyebrows at the words 'hidden secret,' causing his daughter to giggle. "We took it back to the client, and it turned out the book had a spell put on it to make it seem like a regular novel, when it was really a letter to the author's son, who happened to be the client. But since we didn't do what he requested of us, which was find the book and burn it, we didn't get paid."

"Although Lucy threw a fit about not getting any money," Happy added. "And then complaining the whole walk home." The Dragon Slayer turned to the fuzzy creature.

"That was the day we found out she was writing a novel, wasn't it?"

"I think so… Yeah! It was, because I remember her blushing like crazy when you brought it up, and begging us not to tell anyone."

Natsu scoffed. "I don't know what she was so embarrassed about. Her writing is great, and coming from me, that's saying something."

"What about this one?" Nashi asked. The whole time Natsu and Happy were reminiscing, she was flipping through the pages in search of a picture that looked interesting. The Salamander looked down at it. It was of him, Lucy, Gray, and Erza dressed in swimming attire. They were on a beach, and there was a casino in the background.

"Oh, that was when Lucy's spirit, Loke, gave us tickets to an island resort," he said. He laughed lightheartedly. "_That_ went well, eh, Happy?"

"Aye…" uttered the Exceed, recalling the… strange string of events that happened way back then. Who would've known at the time that Erza was going to marry the man who tried to kill her?

"That was when we met Uncle Jellal."

"Uncle Jellal?" Nashi echoed. "I thought Aunt Erza knew him since they were kids…"

"No, that was when the rest of us met him. And, believe it or not, he was a bad guy."

Nashi gasped, looking up at him with wide eyes. "Uncle Jellal was a bad guy?!"

"Yup. In fact, he tried to kill us. He nearly succeeded in killing me and Erza…"

"Really? Why did Aunt Erza marry him then?"

"Well… he was possessed," Natsu said slowly, pausing to see if she knew what it meant.

"What does that mean?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Er… let's just say he was tricked into doing bad things. He thought the spirit of Zeref – the world's darkest, more dangerous wizard – was telling him to do it. It's kind of a long… really confusing story, amai. Jellal Fernandez is one odd person…" Nashi nodded her head, lifting a hand to brush her bangs back. "He repented for his sins, though," he said reassuringly. Her brown eyes looked up at him, confused at the big word. Natsu chuckled. "I mean… he did what he needed to do to be forgiven for his sins. He's cool now."

"I like Jellal," Nashi said contentedly, snuggling closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder. "He's really nice. And his tattoo is awesome." Natsu laughed. A few pages later, they stumbled onto a picture with just Natsu and Lucy. They were in the infirmary at the guild, and Lucy was beaten up pretty bad, with several bandages wrapped around her head and arms as she reclined in a white hospital bed. Natsu had a fading bruise on his cheek, but nothing too major as far as the picture showed. Despite the situation, though, both of them were smiling as they looked into the camera.

"Who took this one?" questioned the little girl, yawning as she slumped further into her father's chest.

"I think Mira did," Happy answered, his eyes slightly heavy as well. "That was after the fight with Kyōfu, wasn't it? Why wasn't I in the picture?"

"That was early in the morning, after Lucy woke up," Natsu replied, still wide awake. "You were still at home, little buddy."

"Why is Mama all beaten up?"

"A week before that picture was taken, me, Mama, Gray, Erza, and Happy went on a mission, and we ran into a man named Kyōfu," explained the Dragon Slayer. "He was really strong, and managed to take down Gray, Erza, and myself within ten minutes. I was the only one awake when Lucy was attacked. She was tortured in front of my eyes, and I was able to drive that bas—" He stopped, catching himself before he swore in front of his kids. If Lucy knew he said such a word in their presence, he would get an earful. He cleared his throat as he mentally edited his sentence. "I was able to drive that _jerk_ away before he killed her. It was still a close call, though…"

Nashi looked up at the sudden sorrowful tone in her father's voice. He stared blankly at the picture, and she knew he was replaying what had happened in his head. She touched his hand. "Daddy? Are you okay?"

"Uh… yeah, I'm fine. It's just…" He looked at her with a sad smile. "Your mother almost died that day. She would've died in my arms if Wendy hadn't shown up when she did." There was a pause between them. Nashi swallowed a small lump in her throat before asking her next question.

"Were you and Mama dating when it happened?" she asked quietly, barely above a whisper. He shook his head.

"No. We were just friends at the time, but it was the scariest day of my life all the same."

"You were _scared?"_

He nodded. "I was terrified. Even before I knew I was in love with her, your mother always had a special place in my heart. She was my best friend since the very beginning, and the thought of losing her, especially like that… it scared me more than anything else."

"Did you love her then?"

He thought for a moment. "I think I kissed her without meaning to when she woke up…" he thought out loud, furrowing his eyebrows.

Nashi giggled. "On her mouth?"

Natsu scoffed, nudging her with his arm. "No, silly girl, on her hand."

She teasingly poked his stomach. "You _did_ love her!" she sang.

"I-it was in the heat of the moment," Natsu defended, oblivious to the pink blush on his cheeks. "I was relieved to see her awake after a week, is all…"

"You had a crush on her."

A goofy grin formed on his lips, a soft laugh bubbling up his throat. "I probably did…" Nashi laughed lightly, and it quickly morphed into a long yawn. Natsu smiled and looked at Ryū, who'd been sleeping peacefully on his chest with his scarf clenched tightly in his small fists for a while now, and then he looked up at Happy, who was nodding off. "Alright, you guys. Time for bed."

Nashi clasped onto his shirt. "I don't wanna move…" she whined softly, nuzzling into him as he set the album onto the floor.

"Nashi…"

"Please?" She looked up at him with tired puppy-dog eyes. And he found he couldn't say no to those dark chocolate eyes, just like he couldn't say no to Lucy's. He sighed in resignation.

"Fine."

* * *

Lucy sighed as she opened the door to her house, quietly closing it behind her, not wanting to wake up the other residents. Not even bothering to take her bag to the bedroom, she dropped it to the floor beside the door and staggered sleepily further into the house. She stole a glance at the clock in the kitchen. 11:12 PM. That mission took longer than they expected. She told Natsu she was going to be home two hours ago. She made her way toward their bedroom, but as she passed the couch, something caught her eye. She turned, and was unable to stop the loving smile as it fluttered onto her face.

Her whole family was asleep on that couch, Ryū snuggled blissfully against her husband's chest, and Nashi sleeping on the edge of the cushion, Natsu's strong arm being the only thing that kept her from falling onto the hard wooden floor below. Happy was curled on the armrest beside Natsu's head, his ears twitching slightly as they picked up small noises. Giggling gently to herself, she approached them, kneeling down beside them. She placed a tender kiss to her daughter's forehead, her eyes catching the black book on the floor next to her.

Their photo album, she realized without even investigating it. Natsu's must've been telling them stories, no doubt. He's always been a good storyteller. She loved going on missions with just him and Happy, because when they had to camp out for the night, he could go on for hours telling stories. May it be just one tale or several, fiction or otherwise, it didn't matter. They were always riveting, so full of detail and color, like she was actually a part of the story.

Looking up at his sleeping face, Lucy lifted a hand and gently weaved her fingers through his hair. The action caused him to open his eyes and look at her, as if he hadn't been sleeping. He smiled. "Hey," he whispered.

"Hi," she murmured back. "Did I wake you?"

"Not really. I was kinda half-awake anyway." His face suddenly turned serious. "Luce."

"What?"

He briefly looked at Nashi, indicating her with his eyes. "We've been in this position for three hours. I can't feel my arm." A silly smile curled on his lips. "Help me…" Lucy laughed airily and rolled her eyes, standing up and reaching for Ryū. She carefully lifted him off of his father, bringing him to her chest. She stirred and whimpered tiredly.

"Shh…" she whispered into his ear, placing gentle kisses to his head. "Shh, baby boy… It's okay… You're okay…" Ryū relaxed at the sound of his mother's silky voice, resting his head on her shoulder and burrowing his face into her neck. Natsu cautiously slid his arm out from under his daughter and slipped off of the couch, bending his elbow over and over again to regain feeling. His right arm from the bicep down was numb, and began to tingle as it stirred back to life. He hissed at the uncomfortable feeling, coiling and uncoiling his hand into a fist and flicking his wrist. Once he regained full use of his arm, he lifted Nashi up from the couch, cradling her like a bride.

"You got her?" Lucy asked, holding up Ryū with one arm and gathering Happy into the other.

"I got her," he answered, making his way toward the kids' room. Now that Nashi wasn't sick anymore, Ryū was able to sleep in the same room as her. He gingerly sat her down in her bed, pulling the covers up to rest under her chin as Lucy entered the room as well. Placing both Happy and Ryū into Ryū's crib, she gave them both a kiss before exiting the room with her husband. Silently closing the door behind them, Natsu yawned like a lion, stretching his arms out to the side, wincing as pins and needles pricked his skin. Sensing his discomfort, Lucy reached for his arm and massaged it, hoping to soothe it. He sent her a grateful smile.

"What were you guys doing with that photo album?" she asked.

"Looking at old pictures and job requests," he answered, falling onto their bed. Lucy followed him, kicking off her shoes as she crawled onto the mattress. She resumed massaging his arm as he spoke again, laughing lightly. "Nashi asks a lot of questions."

Lucy laughed as well. "She's always been a curious child."

"She likes stories, too."

"It's good you're so great at telling them."

* * *

**Author's Note: Before I say anything else, congratulations to DeathBerryHime for being the 400****th**** person to review! 400 reviews… wow. You guys are so awesome, and you are the reason this story has thirty-five chapters. I love you guys **_**so**_** much, you have no idea.**

**On a completely unrelated note: how many Dexter fans do I have here? Are you guys keeping up with the story? Watching the new episodes every Sunday? Are you guys ready for the series finale? Because I'm not… I don't want it to end, you guys! It's just so good, so intense. I am, however, curious to know **_**how**_** it's going to end. Is Dexter going to get caught? If so, by who? Is he going to die? Is he going to go to prison? Who the fuck is the Brain Surgeon? What's going on with the doctor chick? Are Quinn and Deb going to get back together? Is Deb going to kill herself? Or has she really moved on? SO MANY QUESTIONS!**

**For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, Dexter is an **_**amazing**_** show. Dexter Morgan witnessed his mother's death when he was three, and he grew up to be a serial killer known as the Bay Harbor Butcher. But, he works for the Miami Metro Police Department as a forensic technician who specializes as a blood splatter analyst. If you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend it. It keeps you on the edge of your seat from the very first episode, the acting is magnificent, the story is great, and trust me, you will be hooked on it. Take it from me, a fellow Nalu fan.**

**Anyway, please leave a review, you guys! Tell me what you thought about the chapter! If you have any ideas for other chapters, let me know! If you're a Dexter fan, tell me! I want to know more about my lovely reviewers!**


	36. Part of the Plan

Part of the Plan

* * *

Nashi grunted softly as she fell into the grass on her butt. She huffed in annoyance and crossed her thin arms over her chest, her face setting into a pout. "This sucks…" she grumbled. "I'm never gonna be able to use magic…"

Natsu snorted as he sat down in front of her, crossing his legs. "C'mon, amai, don't talk like that," he said encouragingly. "You'll get the hang of it. It just needs some practice." He reached over and gently patted her head. "Come on, let's try something easier. Sit like me." Albeit a little reluctantly, Nashi did as told, crossing her legs and setting her hands on her knees. "Alright. Do you feel that warm sensation in here?" He straightened his back and placed a hand to his stomach. Nashi looked down at her belly for a moment, before looking back up at him as she nodded. "Good. That's your magic."

"Really?" she said, leaning forward slightly with interest. He smiled and nodded.

"Yup." He paused, recalling the words Igneel had said to him when he was about Nashi's age. "To be able to summon the fire that resides inside of you, you need to focus your magical energy."

Nashi tilted her head to the side. "What does that mean?" she inquired, and Natsu felt a surge of déjà vu. Those were the exact words he said to Igneel. He chuckled lightly.

"You need to be able to concentrate your magic. Close your eyes." She did. "Now, picture that feeling in your stomach as a small flame. Focus on it. Expel all other thoughts from your mind." It took a moment, but everything in Nashi's mind disappeared. The only thing she could see in her mind's eye was a tiny flickering flame, like a candle. Her father's voice was soft as it reached her ears. "Imagine that flame slowly expanding, getting larger and hotter by the second." The fire did exactly that, gradually getting bigger. Nashi could practically hear it crackling and snapping. "By now, you should be able to feel the warmth of that fire all through your body." And she could. She was already warm, due to her abnormally high body temperature and the fact that they were doing this outside in the middle of a late summer's day. But now it felt like…

…like she was on fire.

"Focus that warmth into your hand." She felt the heat of the flame shoot down her right arm and into the palm of her hand as if on cue. There was a pause. She heard Natsu chuckle before saying, "Open your eyes, amai." Nashi did as told, looking down at her right hand. A small flame hand engulfed her hand, licking at her skin. She stared at it in amazement for a moment, before a blinding grin settled on her face.

"I did it!" she cheered. "I did it!" Just as quickly as it came, the fire in her hand vanished with a small puff of smoke. The six-year-old deflated with a disappointed groan.

"No, don't make that face," Natsu said, shaking his head as he reached over and touched her hand. His grin was full of pride, his ego swelling in his chest. "That was good, Nashi. It was really good."

"But I wasn't able to keep it…" she pouted, hanging her head. Natsu sighed, his smile softening.

"Oi, look at me," he said gently, cupping her chin and lifting her head. "I know I keep saying this, but it's gonna take some practice."

"I just wanna be as strong as you…" she said sadly, her dark brown eyes going glassy with tears of frustration. Natsu wiped one away as it trickled down her tanned cheek.

"You'll get there."

"When?"

"I don't know. But that doesn't matter. What's important is that you _will._ Okay?" Nashi nodded slowly, drying her eyes with the back of her hand. "Okay. Let's take a break. Maybe Mama's making lunch." He got to his feet and reached down, grabbing her from under her arms and lifting her up. He grunted. "You're getting heavy, amai."

Nashi sniffled, laughing gently. "Maybe you're just getting weak, Daddy," she retorted smartly. Natsu scoffed as he made his way from the park back to their abode.

"As if." As soon as Natsu opened the front door to their apartment, they were greeted with Ryū's screaming. Stunned by the sudden onslaught of noise, Natsu closed the door behind him, watching with wide eyes as Lucy ran from the bathroom into the kids' room, their son in her arms and her shirt soaked through with water.

"Oh, my…" Nashi murmured, just as surprised as her father. The two of them exchanged glances before Natsu set her down, walking toward the kids' room. Lucy stood in the middle of the room, bouncing up and down with Ryū to try and calm him down. But his cries hadn't so much as dwindled. Her hair was up, her cheeks were red – with what emotion, he wasn't sure – and her bra was completely visible through her wet blouse.

"Luce?" he called over Ryū's screams. She spun around at the sound of his smooth voice, and smiled warily.

"Natsu," she breathed. She rocked back and forth. "How was training with Nashi? Did she do well?"

Natsu hesitated, wondering if he should humor her or give her a hand. "Er… she did really well, actually…" he said slowly, suddenly remembering what time of the month it was for Lucy. If he wasn't mistaken, she should be PMSing right about now, which meant he was going to have to choose his words very carefully. The last thing he wanted to do was pinch a nerve without meaning to, especially with the current situation. He gestured to her shirt. "What… _ahem_… What happened?" The stellar wizard looked down at herself, laughing weakly as she lifted her head back up.

"Oh, I was giving him a bath and he splashed me." Natsu nodded in understanding. He stepped forward, holding his hands out to her.

"Want me to take him?" he asked. "So you can change clothes?"

Relief flooded her features. "Oh, would you?" He nodded. She transferred Ryū into his arms. "Thank you, Natsu. I'll be right back." She placed a hasty kiss to his cheek before darting out of the room. He looked down at the distraught boy in his arms, bouncing up and down.

"What is it, little buddy?" he cooed. "Huh? What's the matter?" He lifted him up and sniffed to see if he needed to be changed. He jerked back with a grimace. Yup. Maybe that's what bothering him. He walked over to the changing table on the other side of the room and began the process of changed Ryū's diaper. He felt a hand touch his shoulder and jumped, turning around to see Lucy, a dry shirt on her torso. That was fast.

"You don't have to do that," she said, reaching forward to take over. Natsu shifted his elbow to block her.

"I got it," he said back, gently nudging her hands away.

"No, it's fine, I'll do it," she insisted.

"Really, Luce. I got it."

"I don't want you changing him when you're mad."

"I'm not mad."

"You're doing it wrong."

"Lucy, I know what I'm doing. This isn't the first time I've changed a diaper."

"You _are_ mad, just let me do it."

"I'm not mad, Lucy. I'm getting a little irritated, but not mad."

"Natsu, just let me change him."

"I've already changed him, Lucy," Natsu snapped, his voice coming out harsher than he'd intended. Ryū was still bawling, and now that Lucy was nagging him about something stupid, it was beginning to tweak with his temper. He took a deep breath to cry and calm his nerves. "Luce, just go lay down, take a nap. I'll deal with Ryū. You're obviously a little stressed out right now, and—"

"You think that just because I'm stressed doesn't mean I can take care of my own son?" she hissed, the PMS finally kicking in. Now she was getting overly upset about unreasonable things. She was going to start pushing his limits, he could tell.

"I didn't say that," Natsu defended calmly, trying with every fiber to keep his cool.

"You didn't have to! I _hate_ it when you do this! Whenever I'm in a bad mood or injured, you always just assume that I can't do anything, so you have to take care of _everything!_"

It must've been the testosterone, the male instinct to be the dominant partner in a relationship that made him straighten his back and take a step forward so that he was towering over her. "First of all," he began, his composure beginning to slip, "that's not true. Second of all, all I did was change Ryū's diaper! _Why_ is that an issue?"

"It _is_ true, and you know it!" she spat, lifting herself up on her toes to get closer to him. "And it's an issue because you were mad while you changed him!"

"I _wasn't_ mad!" he shouted, finally raising his voice as his temper sprang into action like a heated coil.

"But you are now?"

"_No_,_"_ he said sarcastically. "You think I like walking through the front door and being greeted with a screaming child and a pissy wife breathing down my neck? I fucking _love_ it! It doesn't feel like home unless it feels like I just jumped into a sawmill!"

_Smack!_

The sound of Lucy's palm slapping Natsu across the face echoed through the apartment. It was so loud that Ryū's cries – which had escalated due to their fighting – fell into soft, pitiful whimpers. The force of her strike made his head turn 90 degrees to the right, and the suddenness made him freeze in that position, his eyes wide with surprise as his cheek turned dark red. After a moment of near-silence, he turned his head to look at her, a hand coming up to rub his sore cheek. He felt a stab of regret when he saw tears brimming in her eyes. Damn, he let his temper get the better of him again.

"Shit, Luce…" he said softly, knowing that no matter what he said, it wasn't going to make the situation any better.

"Leave me alone," she whispered. Her voice came out shaky, which made him feel that much more like an asshole.

"Luce, I…"

"Just leave me alone," she repeated, louder and more confident this time. Despite the salty tears that fell from her eyes, her expression was firm, silently demanding him to obey her request. Natsu gulped, swallowing the massive lump that formed in his throat. He exhaled sharply, turning the leave the room. She splayed her hands on his back and shoved him out the rest of the way, slamming the door closed behind him. Natsu stared at the closed door for a moment, his sensitive ears picking up her sobs from the other side.

"Daddy?" Natsu turned at the soft voice. Nashi was standing a few feet away, her hands clasped behind her back. She looked worried and confused, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. He approached her with a weak smile, reaching his hand out to her.

"Let's make some lunch," he suggested. "Okay?" Nashi nodded and took his hand, following him into the kitchen.

"Okay."

* * *

**That night…**

"Hey."

Lucy looked up from writing her novel, turning in her chair to face Natsu, who was standing in the doorway, leaning against the wooden frame. She turned back to her desk. "Hi." There was a pause, the only sound being her pen scribbling on the paper. "Are they asleep?"

"Yeah." He walked up to her. "Finally." He placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently. She sighed, and he took it as a sign to go ahead. He started to massage her neck, the distraction causing her to click her pen and set it aside, leaning back against her chair. "How's the novel coming?" he asked casually, rubbing the skin at the junction of her neck and shoulders.

"It's… coming," she replied vaguely, her head tilting back to rest against his abdomen. They were silent for another moment.

"Luce?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry. For what I said earlier." Lucy stood up from her chair and turned to face him. He gulped, nervous as her smoldering eyes drilled into his. Prepared for the worst, he was not expecting her to wrap her arms around his waist, pulling him into a hug.

"I know. I'm sorry, too. For yelling at you." She nuzzled into his chest. "I know I didn't make much sense either. Ryū has just been a pain lately, and I took it out on you."

"Don't sweat it, Luce. You've been worse." The two of them laughed for a moment, reveling in their embrace. Lucy smiled. She was thankful how quickly the two of them could make up after a fight. She couldn't stay mad at this goofball for very long.

"I'm sorry for hitting you, too," she added. She felt him shrug.

"It's alright. I kinda deserved it." Lucy nodded as she pulled away slightly, reaching over to turn off the lamp on her desk. The bedroom plunged into darkness. She looked up at him.

"How about I make it up to you?" she asked suggestively, stepping backwards toward the bed, pulling him along by the scarf. Natsu lifted an interested eyebrow as she sat down on the mattress and scooted back, her eyes never leaving his for an instant. He crawled on top of her as she unraveled his scarf, draping it over the headboard. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, the force of his kisses pushing her head deeper into the pillow. His hand rested against her hip, blindly trying to find the end of her shirt. After finally finding it, he slid his hand beneath the material and cradled her bare hip, softly stroking her skin with his thumb and leaving a trail of fire in his wake.

He kissed his way down her jaw and neck, to her chest, between her breasts, and down her stomach to her pelvic bone. He grabbed the end of her shirt and reunited their lips as he began to lift her tank top up her torso. Tossing it unceremoniously to the side, the two of them rolled over. Lucy pulled his shirt open, lightly scraping her fingernails down his chest. He shuddered, sitting up briefly to pull his shirt off, collapsing back onto the mattress as he threw it to an unknown corner of the room. She fiddled with his belt buckle and slowly pulled it away, dropping it to the floor with a thud. She began to undo the fastenings to his pants as he slid his hands up her back and unclipped her bra.

As Natsu was in the process of sliding her bra off her shoulders, Lucy pulled away, hovering over him and holding her bra to her chest. "On second thought," she said with a smirk, "I'm still mad at you."

"Eh?" Natsu muttered, still dazed from the mind-blowing kiss that just ensued between them. Lucy giggled and cupped his cheek, directing his half-lidded eyes to hers.

"I said I'm still mad at you," she repeated, although she didn't seem to be angry with him. She gave him a light peck on the lips before sitting up to straddle him. He hissed through his teeth as she settled her weight onto his hips. Lucy lifted an eyebrow as she reached around to clasp her bra. "Seems that you're already excited." She clicked her tongue. "Bummer."

"Lucyyy…" he whined, setting his hands on her thighs. "Don't tease me… You said—"

"I know what I said, Natsu," she cut him off, holding a finger to his lips. "And I changed my mind."

He tsked. "You can't just change your mind."

"But I did." And with that, she slid off of him, swiping her shirt from the floor. She sashayed over to the bathroom to change clothes, knowing all too well that Natsu's eyes were on her hips.

"I hate you," he declared childishly.

"You love me," she retorted, closing the door.

* * *

**A few minutes later…**

"Hey, Luce?" Natsu whispered. Lucy moaned sleepily in response, her head resting on his chest. It was close to midnight, and both of them were exhausted – due to the exertion of adrenaline earlier that day and the heated make out session just a few minutes prior – but Natsu couldn't seem to fall asleep. He wasn't quite sure why this was bugging him so much; it was a silly thing to be bothered about, but he couldn't stop himself from asking. "Do you regret any of it?" There was a silence for a moment, before Lucy propped her weight on her elbows to look at him.

"Any of what?" she asked, her brows furrowed. Natsu gestured around them.

"_This._ The kids, our marriage, everything." Lucy gazed intently at him, waiting to see if he was joking. But the longer she stared at him, the more she knew he was serious. And that concerned her.

"What makes you think I regret it?" she whispered.

"Well… I know you too well to think that this is the way you wanted your life to turn out," he said slowly, adverting his eyes. "I'm not naïve. I _know_ that you wanted something different. I mean… did you _see _any of this coming?" Lucy thought about it for a moment, before sighing and lifting herself up, straddling his hips.

"No," she said softly. "No, I didn't see any of this coming. Meeting you, joining Fairy Tail, going on all those crazy adventures, falling in love with my best friend… none of it was a part of the plan. None of this is what I wanted." She smiled, lifting her hands to his face. He finally reconnected their gaze as she brushed his bangs away. "But it's _so_ much better. Out of all of the scenarios, all of the ways I pictured my life turning out, I never even _dreamed_ that something like this would happen. But now that it did, I can't imagine my life any other way." She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his forehead. "I love you, Natsu. I love the kids, I love the guild, I love our life. If I could, I would do it all over again, starting from the moment we met. And I wouldn't change a thing."

Natsu stared up at her, speechless. He didn't know what to say. He hadn't been expecting that. She laughed lightly at the expression on his face, sitting up. She cupped his cheek. "So the answer to your question is no. I don't regret a second of it." Natsu released a content sigh, gently grasping her hand with his own. He moved it to his lips, kissing her palm. "But do you know what would make it better?" she asked.

"Hm?" he hummed, placing another kiss to her hand.

"A new house."

* * *

**Author's Note: hey, guys! Kind of a pointless argument at the beginning, but I had a fight similar to that with my sister the other day. And when it was over and we'd gotten over it, we looked at each other like "what were we even fighting about?" There was no real conflict whatsoever and we just got into this huge fight over nothing. And I don't know about my other female reviewers, but I get extremely pissy when I'm PMSing. I get pissed off really easily about anything. I could get a bag of french fries with no salt, and I will go ballistic. It's a little scary. And since Lucy is PMSing, technically, she's not _on_ her period yet.**

**On a different note, I have some bad news. _To Be Lucky_ will be ending in twenty or so chapters. I know, I know, I suck. But I have other ideas in my head, and I can't really concentrate on writing another story when I still have this one going on. Not a very good excuse, I know, but it's the reason TBL will be ending soon. Hopefully it'll have a good ending.**

**Please leave a review, you guys! My goal is to get to at least 600 before TBL comes to a close! Thanks for sticking with me this long! I love you guys! Until next time!**


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